# Mendelssohn AMSND overture



## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

Does anyone else feel the ending of this overture is left unresolved? Even though the orchestra plays an E major chord, the timpani rolls on a B, which makes it feel unresolved. It should be a perfect E. Or maybe pizzicato basses should play an E to bring it to full resolution.


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## Celloman (Sep 30, 2006)

That would make it a second inversion tonic chord. I don't see anything "wrong" with this. The timpani simply adds color. The woodwinds are fulfilling the root chord themselves, so nothing else is needed.


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Celloman said:


> That would make it a second inversion tonic chord. I don't see anything "wrong" with this. The timpani simply adds color. The woodwinds are fulfilling the root chord themselves, so nothing else is needed.


There are a number of works by Mahler and Stravinsky that end on 6-4 chords.


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## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

Yes, but there needs to be an E in the bass to make it an affirmative E major, and I consider the timpani to be a bass instrument.


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## Avey (Mar 5, 2013)

I trust Felix_ ._


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

maestro267 said:


> Yes, but there needs to be an E in the bass to make it an affirmative E major, and I consider the timpani to be a bass instrument.


The famous allegretto movement of Beethoven's 7th symphony ends on a 6-4 chord as well and works very well both in the context of the symphony and a single piece of famous orchestral music. Same thing with Mendelssohn's overture. Also, the fact that is an _overture_ implies that in performance there would be more music to follow it (either the rest of the incidental music, or perhaps other music if the conductor is treating it as a standalone overture in a concert). Ending on a 6-4 chord is a great way to show that there is more to come as well because it doesn't feel as resolved as it would if it were a 5-3 chord with an E in the bass leaving the listener wanting more.


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## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

The Overture (Op. 21, 1826) was composed separately from the incidental music (Op. 61, 1842), so it's a standalone piece, from which the incidental music could take ideas from.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

maestro267 said:


> The Overture (Op. 21, 1826) was composed separately from the incidental music (Op. 61, 1842), so it's a standalone piece, from which the incidental music could take ideas from.


Yes and that's right, the incidental music does do that. It is common practise to perform the incidental music with the actual overture. It is also standard practise to perform the overture as a standalone concert overture, but it would be very strange to perform it at the end rather than at the start of a concert due to its almost "unresolved" ending.


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