Six great endings in music.

[vandermolen]

What are your six (or so) favourite endings in a piece of music - and why?

1 Shostakovich Symphony No 4 - ends in the deepest gloom, haunting, very moving and powerful, especially in its historical context of The Great Purges of the 1930s in which millions disappeared into gulags or died. (also his Piano Quintet)

2 Havergal Brian Symphony No 8 - haunting, enigmatic - wonderful.

3 Tchaikovsky Symphony No 6 Pathetique - heartbreaking - ends in glowering darkness.

4 Vaughan Williams Symphony No 6 'We are such stuff as dreams are made on' ends on the up chord - drifts off into eternity 'like an Amen which does not resolve itself' (Stephen Johnston). His choral work 'Hodie' ends with a wonderfully life-affirming section 'Ring out ye crystal spheres). His Symphony No 9 I find very moving at the end where three huge monolithic chords rise up and then drift away to the sound of harps.

5 Mahler Symphony No 6 - earth-shattering, epic conclusion

6 Shostakovich Symphony No 11 'The Year 1905' - just very noisy and exciting.

Daft topic but there you go  

[Brian]

Daft topic

Nonsense!

In no particular order:

1. (a) Sibelius - Symphony No 5 - first movement (b) Sibelius - Symphony No 7
2. Atterberg - Symphony No 3 - final movement
3. Schumann - Fantasy in C, Op. 17 - final movement
4. (a) Dvorak - Symphony No 8 - finale (b) ditto the first movement (c) ditto the first and last movements of his Symphony No 7 (d) ditto the Othello overture (e) and the Cello Concerto finale
5. Bruckner - Symphony No 7 - end of every movement, actually
6. the slow movement of Borodin's Second, when the oboe and harp repeat the "once upon a time" phrase they played at the beginning, as if to tell us the story is over

Honorable Mention Because I Thought of It Too Late: Brahms Clarinet Quintet, Brahms Symphony No 4 first movement

[vandermolen]

Nonsense!

In no particular order:

1. (a) Sibelius - Symphony No 5 - first movement (b) Sibelius - Symphony No 7
2. Atterberg - Symphony No 3 - final movement
3. Schumann - Fantasy in C, Op. 17 - final movement
4. (a) Dvorak - Symphony No 8 - finale (b) ditto the first movement (c) ditto the first and last movements of his Symphony No 7 (d) ditto the Othello overture (e) and the Cello Concerto finale
5. Bruckner - Symphony No 7 - end of every movement, actually
6. the slow movement of Borodin's Second, when the oboe and harp repeat the "once upon a time" phrase they played at the beginning, as if to tell us the story is over

Honorable Mention Because I Thought of It Too Late: Brahms Clarinet Quintet, Brahms Symphony No 4 first movement

Thanks Brian  

I could have included the end of Bruckner Symphony No 8 or the end of the third movement of Symphony No 9.

[Lethevich]

Great idea - a new spin on the list format

1. Dvořák - Symphony No.7 above all - such an unusually tragic conclusion from a Romantic-Classicist. Super gravitas!
2. Sibelius - Symphony No.3. I feel an unusually personal reaction to this work, and this movement is the crown of that. It's not that it is strongly emotional in any direction - it is the combination of the mind expecting an emotional resolution after the bold opening movement, and charming middle one, but the finale resolutely avoids any obvious devices to this end. It simply moves in an inimitable way - feeling like a homecoming, but neither glorious or tragic, just ambiguous or resigned. The very final seconds are fittingly only a small rise from the orchestra, then it's snuffed out, as if in a puff of smoke.
3. Holst - The Planets (Neptune), and its logical successor,
4. Vaughan Williams - Symphony No.6, and yet another similar one;
5. Vasks - Symphony No.1 - the finale building to the dissonant crescendo, then whispers.
6. Schnittke - Piano Quintet - like a butterfly with damaged wings attempting to fly. Not ugly, just sad.

Honourable mentions: Petterson and Dopper - Symphony Nos.7, for entirely opposite reasons.

[Air]

1. Dvořák - Symphony No.7 above all - such an unusually tragic conclusion from a Romantic-Classicist. Super gravitas!

I thought we agreed on this thread that Dvorak was a Classical-Romantic, not the other way around  

[Lethevich]

I thought we agreed on this thread that Dvorak was a Classical-Romantic, not the other way around  

The only way we can resolve this is with a duel - pistols or sabres?

[Air]

The only way we can resolve this is with a duel - pistols or sabres?

pistols please, as long as i get the first shot. 

[Todd]

LvB Op 111 – The perfect end to the perfect (?) sonata

LvB Op 132 – Same as above, but for string quartet

Bruckner 8 – How else could the work end?

Mahler 9 – Fading away into oblivion.

Tristan und Isolde – The Liebestod is what it's all about.

Brahms 2 – Such a glorious end.

[Brian]

LvB Op 111 – The perfect end to the perfect (!) sonata

Fixed. 

One I forgot: Ravel's La Valse!

[bhodges]

6. Schnittke - Piano Quintet - like a butterfly with damaged wings attempting to fly. Not ugly, just sad.

What a beautiful description.

--Bruce

[Tapkaara]

Sibelius's 5th - One of the most distinctive and and "final" endings in all of music. I remeber when I firt heard it, I thought it so so odd. But I have come to appreciate its unique power.

Salome by Ifukube - A ballet based on Oscar Wilde's play. The ending has some of the most bombastic, pounding music one is ever likely to hear. The strings swirl with maniacal fervor, the brass bellows and sneers like wild animals and the crushing percussion never lets up. Goosebumps evey time.

Beethoven's 9th - The way the music whips itself into extacy one more time after the big "Ode to Joy" tune to conclude the work gets me every time.

Mahler's 2nd - Need I explain this?

Pictures at an Exhibition - Need I explain this, too?

Sibelius's 2nd - The brass rises to that triumphant 'amen' and I am nearlt reduced to tears.

[Elgarian]

Elgar's first symphony. Not the greatest symphony ever written, but my favourite by a long way; and to hear the great theme returning at the end, so satisfyingly, so optimistically, so nobly, and with such lofty aspirations, has been a major source of inspiration for most of my life.

Suor Angelica. Some find the ending sentimental and cloying. I don't. It can be approached either as a genuine dying vision, or as a psychological illusion; either way, Angelica leaves the world comforted and believing that she's reunited with her son, and the music conveys this perfectly, with heartrending tragedy and hope mingled together.
Gotterdammerung. How could anyone compose an ending to a cycle of four operas of such vastly ambitious scope, and make it not seem like an anticlimax? Yet Wagner did it.

These three were easy. The next three need more thought.

[vandermolen]

Great idea - a new spin on the list format

1. Dvořák - Symphony No.7 above all - such an unusually tragic conclusion from a Romantic-Classicist. Super gravitas!
2. Sibelius - Symphony No.3. I feel an unusually personal reaction to this work, and this movement is the crown of that. It's not that it is strongly emotional in any direction - it is the combination of the mind expecting an emotional resolution after the bold opening movement, and charming middle one, but the finale resolutely avoids any obvious devices to this end. It simply moves in an inimitable way - feeling like a homecoming, but neither glorious or tragic, just ambiguous or resigned. The very final seconds are fittingly only a small rise from the orchestra, then it's snuffed out, as if in a puff of smoke.
3. Holst - The Planets (Neptune), and its logical successor,
4. Vaughan Williams - Symphony No.6, and yet another similar one;
5. Vasks - Symphony No.1 - the finale building to the dissonant crescendo, then whispers.
6. Schnittke - Piano Quintet - like a butterfly with damaged wings attempting to fly. Not ugly, just sad.

Honourable mentions: Petterson and Dopper - Symphony Nos.7, for entirely opposite reasons.

Oh Yes, Sibelius symphony No 3 - Sibelius 'becomes Sibelius' in this work I think.  There is something about that last movement - some connection with the elemental power of nature. This is one of the few works I can listen to regardless of how I feel.

Mahler's 9th, Holst's Neptune are also choices I agree with.  Miaskovsky Symphony No 6 - deeply moving and poignant (see it in London next April  )

Very interesting replies - thank you. Sibelius Symphony No 2 ending yes,yes,yes. I'd have chosen Vasks Symphony No 2, which has a most eloquent and haunting ending.

[ChamberNut]

Beethoven's 9th

Sibelius 7th (WOW!  )

Bruckner's 8th (it's the best, but only when performed at the "just right" tempo, it can't be too slow or too rushed)

Haydn's Seven Last Words of Christ

Mahler's 2nd (of course!)

Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition

[Brian]

Beethoven's 9th - The way the music whips itself into extacy one more time after the big "Ode to Joy" tune to conclude the work gets me every time.

Mahler's 2nd - Need I explain this?

Pictures at an Exhibition - Need I explain this, too?

Beethoven's 9th

Mahler's 2nd (of course!)

Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition

I think you cheated, Ray

[hornteacher]

My 6 plus 1:

Beethoven's 9th - IMHO the most exciting coda ever written.

Beethoven's 7th - those sudden fffs at the climax are fantastic

Dvorak's 7th - power in this organ-like ending

Shostakovich's 5th - BOOM BOOM BOOM CRASH love it.

Copland's Appalachian Spring - peaceful, serene, full of contentment.

Holst's Planets, Mars - relentless in aggression.

Mendelssohn VC - fast and fun

[vandermolen]

My 6 plus 1:

Beethoven's 9th - IMHO the most exciting coda ever written.

Beethoven's 7th - those sudden fffs at the climax are fantastic

Dvorak's 7th - power in this organ-like ending

Shostakovich's 5th - BOOM BOOM BOOM CRASH love it.

Copland's Appalachian Spring - peaceful, serene, full of contentment.

Holst's Planets, Mars - relentless in aggression.

Mendelssohn VC - fast and fun

Love your description of the end of DSCH Symphony No 5 - No 10 is also exciting. I'd have chosen Copland's Third Symphony - declamatory - sense of ultimate triumph over dark forces (that's how I see it anyway  )

[Opus106]

False ending: The Art of the Fugue

[Franco]

For now, only one: La Boheme

I love it when those brass chords begin - so perfect.

[offbeat]

Interesting thread - personally prefer quiet or anti climax endings

Shostakovich 8 - after the carnage and emotion it ends on a kind of uneasy peace - its like being emotionally drained
Prokofiev 6 - fascinating final movement starts like a movement from Haydn  and ends in a tragic and abrupt fashion
Honegger 3 - after the discordant barrage its like a trip to paradise
Vaughan Williams 4 - 2nd movement - so bleak and the final woodwind lament is so poetical
Vaughan Williams 5 - the ending just fades away - so beautiful
Sibelius 4 - probably the most negative ending of all but such atmosphere