if there is one piece of music (well, four really) that is almost guaranteed to leave me moist-eyed, it has to be Richard Strauss' Four Last Songs. They have a powerfully moving combination of bitter-sweet nostalgia and aching sadness at the approaching end of life. I once heard them magnificently sung at a concert by finnish soprano Soile Isokoski, and found myself with tears running down my cheeks. As I embarrasedly tried to hide this, and glancing round to check if anyone had seen me, I noticed the young lady to my left blubbing away. The silence after the orchestra faded away was truly astonishing; it felt as though 2,000 people were trying to hold their breath at once. Listening to these songs can have a similar effect at home. You have been warned!
There are several famous versions. My favourite is the beautiful voice of Gundula Janowitz with the Berlin Philharmonic.
Good to see the Frank Bridge Variations mentioned above - such a brilliant piece.