# Favorite finale?



## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

There's no doubt that the finale of a piece of music is important. I've been to countless classical concerts and it's just a fact that I've observed that people clap more enthusiastically if a piece has a "grand finale" than if a piece ends quietly and reserved (no matter how excellent the rest of the piece may be).

Now, I'm not saying that finales need to be loud and boisterous, but many of the great ones are. What are your favorite "endings", your favorite finales, whether grand, quiet, or jarring--the perfect closes to an excellent piece of music?

For me, it's hard to narrow it down, but I think I have a few ideas (and yes, these are essentially all "grand finales", but I have an affinity for exciting music):

*Respighi* - Pines of Rome - I could write an essay about why I like the finale to this piece so much...
*Mahler* - Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection"
*Mahler* - Symphony No. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand"
*Tchaikovsky* - Romeo and Juliet Overture - not the most epic or grand by any means, but truly perfect in my mind
*Tchaikovsky* - Swan Lake - one of the few finales that'll make me cry; the story of course plays into my reaction
*Tchaikovsky* - Symphony No. 4 - I've never heard more enthusiastic applause than for this work
*Stravinsky* - The Firebird
*Scriabin* - The Poem of Ecstasy - the whole piece is named after the finale
*Sibelius* - Symphony No. 5 - this deserves a mention; the first time I heard it, I was laughing. :lol:
*Beethoven* - Symphony No. 9 - a perfect way to wrap up one of the greatest symphonies ever written
*Dvorak* - Cello Concerto

Well, that's all I can think of at the moment. What are your favorite finales to works and why?


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## Stargazer (Nov 9, 2011)

Mahler's 2nd without a doubt.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

The first thing that comes to mind is Holst's The Planets, when at the end of Neptune the choir slowly fades into infinity.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

^Love that one. Another favorite of my favorite quieter finales is the ending of Shostakovich's 4th--the mysterious drone in the background with the celesta playing ominous notes--it's excellent.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Already answered this in the other thread. Beethoven's 7th. As for wordless choirs, anybody who ends a piece with one of those should be terminated with extreme prejudice -- and I include Holst and Debussy.

But in keeping with this thread -- Shostakovich's Symphony #15 has the best fade-out in existence.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

Wordless choirs are great  Like in the _Danse Générale_ from Daphnis and Chloe


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## Ondine (Aug 24, 2012)

Come to mind quickly Dvorak 9th & Mozart's KV 503.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

KenOC said:


> Already answered this in the other thread. Beethoven's 7th.


Yup: I like it when a finale ends with a good bang, and Beethoven was good at this. For the same reason I'd note Bartok's concerto for orchestra, and his piano concertos, especially number three. And perhaps Brahms second symphony?

Great fade-outs also work for me: Brahms' third, and Mahler's fourth, as well as the two wordless choral pieces noted by others above. Debussy in general often fades out wonderfully.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

Ondine said:


> Come to mind quickly Dvorak 9th...


And his cello concerto.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

Ha. One that literally ends with a "bang" after a period of silence (and made me jump in my seat the first time I listened to it), the _Spring Symphony_ by Britten.



brianvds said:


> And his cello concerto.


How could I miss that one? Love the finale to the Cello Concerto. Actually, now that I think about it, a number of my favorite finales are in the key of B major, which is relatively uncommon. Interesting...


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Some of my favorites:

*J.S. Bach* - St. Matthew Passion
*J.S. Bach *- Double VC
*Mozart* - Symphony 41
*Mahler* - Das Lied Von Der Erde
*Mahler* - Symphony 6
*Ives *- Symphony No. 2
*Schnittke* - Concerto for Piano and Strings


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## Skilmarilion (Apr 6, 2013)

Regarding fade-outs, Tchaikovsky's 6th is surely among the greatest. It evokes despair and sorrow phenomenally, and is utterly heartbreaking.


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## Kieran (Aug 24, 2010)

My favourite Mozart finales are PC#24, PC#9, and symph #41.

Oh, and if we include opera...Don Giovanni, Magic Flute and Figaro...


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## CypressWillow (Apr 2, 2013)

Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto Nbr. 2 comes immediately to mind.


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## Skilmarilion (Apr 6, 2013)

Kieran said:


> My favourite Mozart finales are *PC#24*, PC#9, and symph #41.


I concur! The coda is especially brilliant.


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## CypressWillow (Apr 2, 2013)

And even if one isn't French:


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## julianoq (Jan 29, 2013)

I am not sure if it is the best finale, but the one that immediately comes to mind is Bruckner 5th symphony. The finale is outstanding!

Edit: Not my favorite performance of this symphony, but to illustrate here it is with Celibidache:


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## Cheyenne (Aug 6, 2012)

Do you mean final movement or coda? I'll go with coda. 
- *Trio Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp*, Debussy
- *Op 130 Quartet*, Beethoven (with Große Fuge, of course)
- *String Quartet. No. 15*, Shostakovich

Or did you want large-scale works? Well.. 
- Symphony No. 2, Mahler
- Symphony No. 4, Mahler
- Symphony No. 8, Mahler
- Symphony No. 9, Mahler
- A Sea Symphony, Vaughan Williams
- Symphony No. 5, Vaughan Williams
- Jupiter Symphony, Mozart
- Symphony No. 4, Bruckner

If final movement in general, I have waaaaay more.


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## Andolink (Oct 29, 2012)

This is, for me, the easiest question to answer of any I've seen in this forum to date. 

Mahler's Symphony No. 6. Especially the Thomas Sanderling recording with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic. Sanderling's vision of the 6th subordinates all considerations to the achievement of maximum impact of the symphony's Finale. Everything in movements I-III is paced and directed toward movement IV and the effect is utterly shattering like no other performance I've heard. IMO, you haven't really heard this symphony until you've heard this recording.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

The endings of Schumann's fantaisie and piano concerto


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## Il_Penseroso (Nov 20, 2010)

If you mean a haunting final climax, well then: 

Beethoven: Symphony No.5
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.4
Schumann: Symphony No.4
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.5
Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake
Wagner: Götterdämmerung 
Glazunov: Stenka Razin (One-movement composition, I know, but one of the best conclusions I've ever heard with the Volga Boeatmen song...) 
Sibelius: Symphony No.2 
Debussy: Iberia
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé 

and of course may others...


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## Bone (Jan 19, 2013)

I will play this with an orchestra at some point before I die. Brahms 2 finale


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## schuberkovich (Apr 7, 2013)

Greatest - Prokofiev Sinfonia Concertante
Listen from 9:13


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## DrKilroy (Sep 29, 2012)

Stravinsky's Concerto in D, Firebird.
Vaughan Williams' 8th Symphony.
Ravel's Piano Concerto in G and Violin Sonata.
Sibelius' 5th Symphony.
Mozart's 40th Symphony, 5th Violin Concerto, 4th Horn Concerto.
Bach's 2nd Brandenburg Concerto.
Schumann's Carnaval.

Best regards, Dr


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Debussy ~ La Mer


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

The final number of Ravel's opera "L'enfant et les sortilèges", "Il est bon, l'enfant, il est sage", with the boy embracing his mother. Few things can bring a tear from me, I'm afraid that this one qualifies.


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

Most of my favorites were mentioned, except Scriabin - Symphony No. 1, which is possibly my favorite of them all:


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## TrevBus (Jun 6, 2013)

Easy for me and no contest. Beethoven's 5th. It stirs my emotions and puts me where I wish to stay.


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

To all the great finales that have been mentioned, I would like to add Bruckner's Symphony No. 1.


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

Now let me see....
*Loud:*
Mahler 2 (but it has to be done properly with audible tam-tams, organ and big bells; ditto Scriabin - Poem of Ecstacy)
Mahler 8
Shostakovich 5 (esp. in the Petrenko recording on Naxos)
Walton 1 (but not the awful Owain Arwel Hughes recording on BIS)
Janacek - Sinfonietta (and Taras Bulba)
Ravel - La Valse
Khachaturian 2 (esp. in the Neeme Jarvi recording on Chandos)

*Quiet:*
Shostakovich 8
Shostakovich 15
Mahler 4
David Bedford - Stars End
Respighi - Fountains of Rome
Rimsky-Korsakov - Scheherazade


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## BaronAlstromer (Apr 13, 2013)

Beethoven´s 7th symphony.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

I strongly second Mozart's 41 and Beethoven's Grosse Fuge. I would add:

Mendelssohn: Symphony 4
Wagner: Tristan and Isolde - The Liebestod (if opera counts)


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## OboeKnight (Jan 25, 2013)

Dvorak 9!!! The beginning of the finale is epic.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

DeepR said:


> Most of my favorites were mentioned, except Scriabin - Symphony No. 1, which is possibly my favorite of them all:


Scriabin's orchestral works are so underrated. I love the finale to the Symphony No. 1


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## Ravndal (Jun 8, 2012)

PetrB said:


> Debussy ~ La Mer


Yes!!!!!! I'm especially thinking of the ending of the first movement. Goosebumps inc.


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## Trout (Apr 11, 2011)

One of my favorite finales is that of Atterberg's 3rd symphony. Here is the last movement, but it is probably better to hear in context. Breathtakingly melodic and amazingly triumphant, nevertheless.


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## CyrilWashbrook (Feb 6, 2013)

Dvorak cello concerto is probably my favourite. A couple of nights ago, I was on YouTube cycling through several different performances purely to listen to the last five or six minutes of each one (from roughly where the violin-cello duet kicks in).

There are also some fantastic last movements from Bruckner and Mahler. Another good one is the scintillating finale to Rossini's Stabat Mater, which my orchestra played a couple of weeks ago.


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

How could I forget. When I heard this for the first time I practically jumped out of my seat.


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## Adeodatus100 (May 27, 2013)

The _third_ movement of Tchaikovsky's 6th is a great finale.  (Seriously, I've never been to a performance where it didn't get applause. I once actually saw someone putting their coat on, only to look really embarrassed when the finale started.)

I think for a big, loud ending I'd go with Bruckner's 5th. But the ending of his (unfinished) 9th is tinglingly beautiful.


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