Elgar's Nimrod and Gorecki's Symphony No. 3

Nimrod is about rebirth and overcoming. Almost any recording of this masterful sadness/glory will do. Gorecki's Sorrowful Songs captures profound sadness like possibly nothing else. Note: there are many, many somewhat fast recordings out there that don't capture the dirge-like trauma of this music. I would go with the slowest possible recording. The soprano shouldn't be taking a breath every second.

What these pieces mean to me: They command absolute respect and gravity, something that is crucial for the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy.

Gabriela Stastny