Best One Note Endings/Orchestral or Otherwise

[Cato]

This morning for some reason I was running Arnold Schoenberg's cantata Jakobsleiter through my head.

Although it is a fragment, it seems to end perfectly on a single faraway note sung by a soprano.    0:)

Schoenberg's opera Moses und Aron also ends on a single note.

I thought it would be interesting to see how many other works you can recommend which fade away on a single note: the impact can be just as great as any kaboom ending, although to be sure people probably prefer a kaboom.   0:)

[Mark G. Simon]

I wonder what kind of ending Schoenberg envisioned for both of these works?

[(poco) Sforzando]

Nielsen 6, which ends with a unison on the lowest note of the bassoon.

[lukeottevanger]

Oho, there will be dozens, especially in 20th century repertoire! It's a favourite device, and the Schoenberg is a wonderful example. Another one, just as striking, that springs to mind, is the end of Kurtag's exquisite Grabstein fur Stephan, an almost entirely pianissimo piece (with shocking outbursts of whistles and emergency alarms in the middle). The end is written as a B for solo horn, dim. al niente, but in a note Kurtag says that the note should be played by 'the most beautiful and warmest wind instrument voice of the ensemble, or a human voice (maybe from the audience)'. Here it is:

[rappy]

Famous examples would be Mahler 9 (if i have that in mind rightly) and Strauss Don Juan, although in the latter one, the last note is doubled in octaves.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Famous examples would be Mahler 9 (if i have that in mind rightly)

Off the top of my head, I don't think so - I think the last measures are harmonized.

Haydn's Farewell Symphony comes close, but IIRC two violins are left at the end, not just one.

The piccolo solo at the end of Carter's Symphonia qualifies.

[lukeottevanger]

Yes, Mahler 9 is harmonised.

[lukeottevanger]

So is Mahler 10, to prempt!

A striking monodic ending occurs in the Berg Lyric Suite, a fade-out ending in the viola, oscillating between D flat and F. But there will be dozens of these things....

[Symphonien]

Another one, just as striking, that springs to mind, is the end of Kurtag's exquisite Grabstein fur Stephan, an almost entirely pianissimo piece (with shocking outbursts of whistles and emergency alarms in the middle). The end is written as a B for solo horn, dim. al niente, but in a note Kurtag says that the note should be played by 'the most beautiful and warmest wind instrument voice of the ensemble, or a human voice (maybe from the audience)'.

Wow! Now you've made me really interested in that particular Kurtag.

The one that comes to mind for me is the end of Xenakis's Jonchaies (perhaps because I have been listening to it recently), which ends on a single piccolo note. I'm sure there are many others that I haven't thought of...

[Symphonien]

A striking monodic ending occurs in the Berg Lyric Suite, a fade-out ending in the viola, oscillating between D flat and F. But there will be dozens of these things....

It's been a long time since I've heard the Lyric Suite, but by mentioning Berg you've put me in mind of the Three Pieces in which I believe the brass reach a unison before the final hammer blow.

[mahler10th]

Mahlers 1st.
Two notes really, echoing the cuckoo calls that went before, but still ends with some finality.

[Symphonien]

Of course, how could I forget the score that inspired my forum signature? Ligeti's 10 Pieces for Wind Quintet where the piccolo holds its lowest note D for a long time before the bassoon follows with a very short low C# to finish the work.

[(poco) Sforzando]

We might want to distinguish between "kaboom" unison endings (in which case, Beethoven's 5th qualifies as well as Mahler's 1st) and soft, quiet unison endings.

[scarpia]

We might want to distinguish between "kaboom" unison endings (in which case, Beethoven's 5th qualifies as well as Mahler's 1st) and soft, quiet unison endings.

I think the question is quite silly unless you mean one instrument playing one note.  If you include unison (quiet or not) then some significant fraction of pieces written in the time of Mozart and Haydn ended with the orchestra playing unison (or octaves).

Now that you mention it, several movements in Bach's suites for cello unaccompanied end with a single note.  Quite stunning, actually.

[(poco) Sforzando]

I think the question is quite silly unless you mean one instrument playing one note.  If you include unison (quiet or not) then some significant fraction of pieces written in the time of Mozart and Haydn ended with the orchestra playing unison (or octaves).

Now that you mention it, several movements in Bach's suites for cello unaccompanied end with a single note.  Quite stunning, actually.

The intent of the original question was fairly clear: "I thought it would be interesting to see how many other works you can recommend which fade away on a single note."

But then Mahler 1 and some other works simply with unison endings got into the picture, muddying the waters.

[Kullervo]

Sibelius's 6th?

[Mark G. Simon]

The piccolo solo at the end of Carter's Symphonia qualifies.

Given Carter's preference for quiet endings, there ought to be quite a number of examples from his works. I was just thinking of the high harmonic E in the violin that ends Carter's 1st Quartet.

[mahler10th]

I am sorry to have muddies the waters...

[karlhenning]

Sibelius's 6th?

Yes!!!

[Wendell_E]

Billy Budd