# Most Beautiful Openings and Closings to Pieces



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

What do you think are the most beautiful openings and closings to classical music pieces?

Beautiful- pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically.


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## Goddess Yuja Wang (Aug 8, 2017)

One of the closings that always get me, even make me shed a tear, is *Shostakovich's ending of the fourth movement of his 5th symphony*.

It almost restores my hope in humanity and lessens my ever-growing misanthropy on every listen. I know some people critique it a lot, but I find this music irresistibly beautiful and sublime. Timeless.


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

*Opening* - Chopin: Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat major, op. 61


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Vaughan Williams London Symphony, the end of the last movement in the 1913 version:
"...sink down, upon the horizon, pass -- pass. The river passes -- London passes, England passes..." _Tono-Bungay_, H.G. Wells


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

I love the opening of Beethoven's fourth piano concerto. In contrast to the orchestral openings of most concertos, this is such a hushed, magical moment, with the solo piano gently musing on a lyrical chord progression. The orchestra then answers with a mysterious echo of the chords in a distant tonal realm.

The opening of Beethoven's fifth piano concerto is equally gripping, but in an entirely different way. The orchestra issues a majestic proclamation, followed by a pianistic outburst of defiant virtuosity. Beethoven really knew how to set up the central poetic idea of each work from the outset! :tiphat:


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

The start of Beethoven concerto no 3, the amount of time you must have as soloist to start is nerve wrecking.
The end of Beethoven Concert no5 , give it your best and you are in heaven


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Opening: Mendelssohn's 4th symphony.
Closing: Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde (...ewig... ewig...)


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

Opening: Szymanowski 1st violin concerto
Closing: Szymanowski 1st violin concerto

Seriously, check this piece out. It's a pretty good concerto and bookended by the most gorgeous opening and closing.


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## GraemeG (Jun 30, 2009)

Opening of Bruckner 4.
If the Hubble telescope could write music, this is what it would compose.
Graeme


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

Opening Mendellsohn Violin Concerto 
Closing Grieg Piano Concerto 

The two that come to mind although there are many other works!


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I love the opening of Mahler's 4th (last movement) - just like the breezes of nature.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Bruckner 6 slow movement


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## David Phillips (Jun 26, 2017)

The close of Elgar's Second Symphony where the virile 'Spirit of Delight' opening of the work is slowed down and bathed in gold.


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## classical yorkist (Jun 29, 2017)

The opening of The Lark Ascending

The opening of Sibelius 4th

I don't really like endings that much, they always disappoint somewhat


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Bettina said:


> I love the opening of Beethoven's fourth piano concerto. In contrast to the orchestral openings of most concertos, this is such a hushed, magical moment, with the solo piano gently musing on a lyrical chord progression. The orchestra then answers with a mysterious echo of the chords in a distant tonal realm.
> 
> The opening of Beethoven's fifth piano concerto is equally gripping, but in an entirely different way. The orchestra issues a majestic proclamation, followed by a pianistic outburst of defiant virtuosity. Beethoven really knew how to set up the central poetic idea of each work from the outset! :tiphat:


Yes. It's my favorite Beethoven Piano Concerto. Beethoven broke new ground with it, having the concerto commence with that lovely, gentle solo piano, instead of an orchestral tutti. It is the only one of the five I would say enters the realm of true Romanticism.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

The Prokofiev Third Piano Concerto has a beautiful opening. A solo clarinet plays a beautiful lyrical melody, joined a few bars later by a second clarinet, playing in thirds. It hooked me the very first time I heard it.


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## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

Judith said:


> Opening Mendellsohn Violin Concerto
> Closing Grieg Piano Concerto
> 
> The two that come to mind although there are many other works!


agreed!

openings Strauss "Also sprach Zarathustra"
Rachmaninov 2nd piano concerto 
Poulenc Stabat Mater
Grieg Piano concerto 

closing
Franck Violin sonata
Franck Prelude choral and fugue


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

As for most beautiful closings, near the end of Ives Concord Sonata Piano Sonata, a beautiful, pastoral flute solo emerges which is supposed to represent Thoreau playing his flute at Walden Pond; an incredibly moving ending to a great piano sonata.


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

To me, openings are typically more beautiful than closings; so for now, I'll mention a few of my favorite openings:

Brahms: Violin Concerto
Brahms: Clarinet Quintet
Dvorak: Symphony No.8
Dvorak: Humoresque
Mozart: Clarinet Quintet
Mozart: String Quartet No.20 (Hoffmeister")
Debussy: Clair De Lune
Vaughan Williams: Symphony No.3
Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

helenora said:


> agreed!
> 
> openings Strauss "Also sprach Zarathustra"
> Rachmaninov 2nd piano concerto
> ...


Forgot about Franck Violin Sonata. Love that!


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

The most beautiful of beginnings:

Atterberg: Varmland Rhapsody
Bruckner: Symphonies nos. IV, VII, VIII (adagio)
Sibelius: Symphony no. VI
Glazunov: Suite from the Middle Ages (The Troubadour's Serenade)
Glazunov: Scenes de ballet (Pas d'action)
Tchaikovsky: Suite no. III for Orchestra (first movement)
Brahms: Symphony no. III (third movement: Poco allegretto)
Scriabin: Symphony no. I
Massenet: opera "Hérodiade" (overture)
Lalo: Le Roi d'Y's (Aubade)
Bax: Symphony no. VII & Spring Fire
Wagner: opera "Lohengrin" (overture)
Tubin: Symphonies nos. II & IV
Artur Kapp: Symphony no. I
Weinberg: Cello Concerto
Debussy: Estampes (Pagodes) for piano
Paderewski: Piano Sonata (slow movement)
Dukas: La Peri
Rakov: Symphony no. I
Goossens: Oboe Concerto
Melartin: Twenty-four Preludes (Prelude no. V "Cherry Blossoms in Japan")
Palmgren: Seven Piano Pieces, op. 27 (no. III "Dragonfly").

Scott, Cyril: Lotus Land (for piano)
Ippolitov-Ivanov: Three Tableaux from "The Songs of Ossian" (finale: "Ossian's Monologue on Contemporary Heroes")
Novak: Slovak Suite (angelic)
Kodaly: Summer Evening
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Hiawatha
Still: Symphony no. II "Song of a New Race"
Hanson: Merry Mount (Prelude to Act II)
Balakirev: Piano Sonata no. I in B-Flat Minor, Op. 5 (Andante)
Medtner: Piano Concerto no. II, Violin Sonata no. III "Epic"
The most beautiful of endings:

Bax: Symphony no. III (finale; epilogue)
Bax: Christmas Eve
Glazunov: Raymonda (Hymne of Act II)
Myaskovsky: Symphony no. XXV (apotheosis in feel)
Tchaikovsky: Sleeping Beauty (Act II)
Tchaikovsky: opera "Mazeppa" (Act III Finale: Mariya's aria "The old man has gone like a heart beating")
Moeran: Violin Concerto
Bruckner: Symphony no. VI (adagio)
Mahler: Symphonies nos. III & IV
Melartin: Symphony no. IV (slow movement) & Six Lyric Pieces for piano
Rachmaninoff: Symphony no. III (first movement), Three Russian Songs (largo)
Tchaikovsky, Boris: Symphonic Impressions "Juvenile"
Stanford: Symphony no. V (finale)
Elgar: Symphony no. II (finale)
Vaughan-Williams: Symphony no. III (finale)
Sainton: Symphonic Poem "The Island"
Wagner: Gotterdammerung
Atterberg: Symphony no. III
Barber: Vanessa
Gliere: Symphony no. II (Second movement: Tema con variazione)
Suk: A Summer Tale
Bortkiewicz: Symphony no. I (first movement)
Rimsky-Korsakov: opera "Mlada" & Antar (Symphony no. II - finale)
Rubinstein, Anton: opera "The Demon" (act III: apotheosis).
Shebalin: opera "The Taming of the Shrew"
Lehar: operettas "Giuditta" & "Der Zarewitsch" (act II)


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## Templeton (Dec 20, 2014)

In terms of endings, this and particularly this version, given its significance:






I've always had a soft spot for Ravel and the ending of Ma Mère l'Oye. Here's a particularly fine performance by Gustavo Dudamel and the Berlin Philharmonic:


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

If you can, try listening to these beautiful pieces---in toto. For what little has been published of his, George Butterworth penned some wonderfully tuneful heart and soul stuff. Some of you, at least, will appreciate what you hear.

The Banks of Green Willow and
Two English Idylls.

The photos are of lp albums I own, but I imagine the contents of one or both are most likely found on cds. Of course, these works are also available for listening on You Tube.


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## Sol Invictus (Sep 17, 2016)

Goddess Yuja Wang said:


> One of the closings that always get me, even make me shed a tear, is *Shostakovich's ending of the fourth movement of his 5th symphony*.
> 
> It almost restores my hope in humanity and lessens my ever-growing misanthropy on every listen. I know some people critique it a lot, but I find this music irresistibly beautiful and sublime. Timeless.


The ending of the first movement is hauntingly beautiful. The orchestra sitting on low chords while the celesta does chromatic crawls.


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

Opening
Beethoven piano concerto 5 slow movement

Closing
Scriabin piano concerto slow movement, from the return of the first theme to the end. It cannot be more beautiful. Slow movement starts at 7:50. 



Peter Jablonski gets the delicate rubato just right.


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

Mozart VC5 - 1st mvt - the bubbly orch intro and opening phrases played by the violin - played no better than Heifetz.

prokofiev ending of VC1

2nd mvt end of schubert 8

end of death and transfig

just a few off top of my head


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## QuietGuy (Mar 1, 2014)

The opening and closing of Ravel's Ma Mere l'Oye -- the complete ballet. They are the same material, of course. The closing in all its glory; the opening, stripped down to its simplest form. Each is magical in its own way.


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

I agree with Bettina that Beethoven's 4th piano concerto has a wonderful opening. 
For a piece that has a memorable beginning and end I recommend Sibelius' tone poem Pohjola's Daughter.


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

Orfeo said:


> The most beautiful of beginnings:
> 
> Atterberg: Varmland Rhapsody
> Bruckner: Symphonies nos. IV, VII, VIII (adagio)
> ...


I like so much this magnificent list.


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

I say these ones:

Beginnings
Ravel - Suite nº 2 from Daphnis et Chloé (Lever du soleil). This is one of the most magical, evocative, diaphanous beginnings I know.

Rheinberger - Piano quartet in E-flat major. Hearty and lovely beginning. Just beautiful.

Madetoja - Symphony No. 2. I fell in love with this complete beauty. The beginning is so melancholic but not too much. Inspiring.

Medtner - Piano quintet. The poetic Medtner in a tender mood.

Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 1. It's so delicate, it's like anticipating the cold that is coming soon.

Mahler - Symphony No. 1. A great example of quiet beginning. Nature awakens with whispers of animals and songs of birds. I largely admire Mahler here.

Endings
Brahms - Symphony No. 3. I can feel a spiritual peace when this marvelous symphony ends.

Strauss - Tod und Verklärung. I don't have enough words to describe such a level of heavenly ecstasy. Top-notch ending.

Novák - De Profundis. After the relentless struggle throughout the piece, comes a redemptive and hopeful end.

Foerster - Symphony No. 4 _Easter Eve_. Grandiloquent, majestic, a real hymn for God.

Franck - Violin sonata. It's just perfection. Period.


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## Alfacharger (Dec 6, 2013)

It is brief but I love the very soft dissonant chords the begins Elliot Carter's 1st Symphony.






I also love the braying beginning followed by a very romantic tune of John Paine's Overture "As You Like It".


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

MusicSybarite said:


> I like so much this magnificent list.


Thank you.
:tiphat:


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

I heard from an English Kiwanis Music Festival adjudicator, Sidney Harrison, that Glenn Gould had played an outstanding Beethoven Fourth Concerto in competition some years earlier. Gould's teacher Alberto Guerrero told Harrison that at one lesson Glenn played the opening chord over and over for the full 45 minutes, trying different voicings, dynamics, durations (no doubt having quite a bit to say, too!)


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## Totenfeier (Mar 11, 2016)

If you want to talk sheer shrieking, thunderous, truly frightening beauty, you have to talk Mahler's 8th - at both ends.


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## Dirge (Apr 10, 2012)

The openings and closing that first came to mind when I read the title of the thread …

The closing "Amen" of Brumel's _Ave virgo glorioso_: a beautifully flowing canon sequence that ingeniously cascades through all four voices before finally settling out and coalescing into one pure, undisrupted stream of agreement*… a sublime conclusion to a masterpiece of the Renaissance.

The Sonatina that opens J. S. Bach's _Actus tragicus_, either the original or Kurtág's arrangement for piano, four hands.

The opening of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4.

The haunted/haunting opening to Schubert's Fantasie in F minor for piano, four hands.

The impossibly nostalgic opening and closing of Vaughan Williams's "Bredon Hill" (from _On Wenlock Edge_).

The end of Britten's _Lachrymae_ (in the later version for viola & strings). This seamless, mostly hushed and eerie set of variations in search of a theme lurks in the nether frequencies and dynamics, with the soloist (viola) deviously making his way through the hushed orchestral shadows like an escaped leper trying to avoid the sun while eluding the CDC. The atmosphere is one of strange harmonies in a ghostly orchestral cloak until the music intensifies and builds to a climax near work's end; as the climax fades out and the music dissolves, the harmonies insidiously organize and coalesce into a sort of harmonic normalcy and the beautiful Dowland theme ("If my complaints could passions move") magically emerges in its original form for the first time, the viola and strings sounding together rather like a large viol consort-one of the most goosebump-inducing, "Ahhh"-inspiring moments in all of Britten.


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## pokeefe0001 (Jan 15, 2017)

stomanek said:


> end of death and transfig


And, of course, the end of Im Abendrot (from Strauss's 4 Last Songs) from the quote of Death and Transfiguration to the end. I'm not a great fan of Strauss, but I think that end is beautiful.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Dirge said:


> The openings and closing that first came to mind when I read the title of the thread …
> 
> The closing "Amen" of Brumel's _Ave virgo glorioso_: a beautifully flowing canon sequence that ingeniously cascades through all four voices before finally settling out and coalescing into one pure, undisrupted stream of agreement*… a sublime conclusion to a masterpiece of the Renaissance.
> 
> ...


Yes, the Schubert opening is pure genius.


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## Chris (Jun 1, 2010)

How about the opening of Delius' A Song Before Sunrise


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## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

oh, speaking about Mahler. How about opening of his Adagietto from 5th symphony. mesmerizing and haunting at the same time, even shimmering


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## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)




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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

The last pages of Copland's Appalachian Spring are especially beautiful and serene.


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

Sibelius 7 for the ending. It lights up my entire being every time. This Segerstam recording.





The ending to the first movement of Scriabin's second piano sonata is beautiful and serene as well. Miss Wang deserves credit for her wonderful performance of this piece.


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