Six great endings in music.

[Christo]

Stanley Bate Symphony No 4 (hopeless defience - right up my street)

And yes, you are right about Bate's Fourth too. Hopeless defiance. At first, I thought that his energetic Third - comparable to Walton's First IMHO - is the better symphony. But the more I play the Fourth, the more it grows and the more it becomes a tragic and quite unique piece of music - unique because of its special `tone' that you catch well here.

[TheGSMoeller]

I love lists! But why only 6? 

Britten: Gloriana - in the final moments of Britten's opera, several of the lines are spoken rather than sung, melodies from the previous acts reoccur, and an offstage choir ends it all as it fades into silence...incredibly dramatic.

Prokofiev: Symphony No.7 - I've already seen it listed on this thread, but I had to give it another vote.  If you haven't already, listen to Tennstedt's recording, it's almost Wagnerian.

Berlioz: La damnation de Faust / Requiem - I know I chose two, but they are similar and equally heavenly (bad pun). Marguerite's acceptance into heaven in Faust, and the over-a-minute long "amen" ending the Requiem are both very powerful.

Adams: Harmonielehre - Not sure where to actually label the "ending" of this piece, the final movement feels like a race that may never end, quite exhilarating.

Berg: Wozzeck - A heavier than heavy interlude leads the story into the brief final scene of kids playing on the street, including the son of Maria...absolutely chilling.

Haydn: Symphony No.45, "Farewell" - Whether live (with the performers leaving) or heard on a recording, the final dissolving minutes of this piece compliment the first 3 1/2 movements perfectly.

[vandermolen]

And yes, you are right about Bate's Fourth too. Hopeless defiance. At first, I thought that his energetic Third - comparable to Walton's First IMHO - is the better symphony. But the more I play the Fourth, the more it grows and the more it becomes a tragic and quite unique piece of music - unique because of its special `tone' that you catch well here.

Very well put Johan - I totally agree.

[vandermolen]

I love lists! But why only 6? 

Britten: Gloriana - in the final moments of Britten's opera, several of the lines are spoken rather than sung, melodies from the previous acts reoccur, and an offstage choir ends it all as it fades into silence...incredibly dramatic.

Prokofiev: Symphony No.7 - I've already seen it listed on this thread, but I had to give it another vote.  If you haven't already, listen to Tennstedt's recording, it's almost Wagnerian.

Berlioz: La damnation de Faust / Requiem - I know I chose two, but they are similar and equally heavenly (bad pun). Marguerite's acceptance into heaven in Faust, and the over-a-minute long "amen" ending the Requiem are both very powerful.

Adams: Harmonielehre - Not sure where to actually label the "ending" of this piece, the final movement feels like a race that may never end, quite exhilarating.

Berg: Wozzeck - A heavier than heavy interlude leads the story into the brief final scene of kids playing on the street, including the son of Maria...absolutely chilling.

Haydn: Symphony No.45, "Farewell" - Whether live (with the performers leaving) or heard on a recording, the final dissolving minutes of this piece compliment the first 3 1/2 movements perfectly.

I must listen to the Adams and the Prokofiev. The limit to six is totally arbitrary.  It dates from my student days when I joined a fine music library in High Street Kensington (London). You were only allowed three LPs at a time - so I got my dad to join too - which gave me six LPs - so I was constantly having to limit myself to this number.  But please feel free to choose more. 

[TheGSMoeller]

I must listen to the Adams and the Prokofiev. The limit to six is totally arbitrary.  It dates from my student days when I joined a fine music library in High Street Kensington (London). You were only allowed three LPs at a time - so I got my dad to join too - which gave me six LPs - so I was constantly having to limit myself to this number.  But please feel free to choose more. 

My library is the same, and 6 is fine, I would actually prefer it over something like 45 Great Endings in Music, for that I would need a bottle of wine and pull an all-nighter. 

And yes, listen to Prokofiev's 7th, and make sure it's with the original soft ending (Tennstedt, Ozawa).

[starrynight]

Not sure if these have been mentioned yet....

Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto 1 (1st movement)
Beethoven op132 (1st movement)
Beethoven - Symphony 9 (1st movement)
Holst - Planets - Jupiter

[Dax]

Pijper - piano concerto

An "I've just run out of manuscript paper" ending.

[jowcol]

tic.

Prokofiev: Symphony No.7 - I've already seen it listed on this thread, but I had to give it another vote.  If you haven't already, listen to Tennstedt's recording, it's almost Wagnerian.

I have to agree with Edward's rant a page of so back that the happy ending that tacked on at the very end of the 7th in some versions undermines one of the greatest valedictory statements made by a composer, IMO.

[TheGSMoeller]

I have to agree with Edward's rant a page of so back that the happy ending that tacked on at the very end of the 7th in some versions undermines one of the greatest valedictory statements made by a composer, IMO.

And the reason that Prokofiev added the "happy" at the end of the symphony validates this even more. 

[RJR]

Last movements of

Schubert Ninth
Prokofiev 7 & 8th Piano Sonatas
Debussy La Mer
Brahms 1st Symphony
Roussel 3rd
Beethoven Fifth
Beethoven Op. 57
Stravinsky Rite of Spring

[Lisztianwagner]

My list could be:

Wagner Der Ring des Nibelungen
Beethoven Symphony No.9
Mahler Symphony No.6/No.8
Tchaikovsky 1812 Ouverture
Respighi I Pini di Roma
Ravel Daphnis et Chloé

Apart from those, I could also include Wagner's Tristan, Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, Liszt's Les Preludes, Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and Stravinsky' The Firebird

[madaboutmahler]

My list could be:

Wagner Der Ring des Nibelungen
Beethoven Symphony No.9
Mahler Symphony No.6/No.8
Tchaikovsky 1812 Ouverture
Respighi I Pini di Roma
Ravel Daphnis et Chloé

Apart from those, I could also include Wagner's Tristan, Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, Liszt's Les Preludes, Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and Stravinsky' The Firebird

Great choices Ilaria! The ending to Der Ring des Nibelungen is certainly one I should have included on my list, so beautiful and powerful. Couldn't imagine a more perfect ending!

[Brahmsian]

Great choices Ilaria! The ending to Der Ring des Nibelungen is certainly one I should have included on my list, so beautiful and powerful. Couldn't imagine a more perfect ending!

Daniel, which recording did you finally decide upon for Der Ring des Nibelungen? 

[madaboutmahler]

Daniel, which recording did you finally decide upon for Der Ring des Nibelungen? 

Hi Ray, I still have not got one of my own I managed to borrow the Karajan off a friend, and listened to Gotterdammerung which was excellent. So it will probably be the Karajan on my Christmas list! Read that you have just brought the Solti - enjoy!

[Karl Henning]

Some pieces, you're not particular how they end, but you're grateful when they do end ; )

[Brahmsian]

Some pieces, you're not particular how they end, but you're grateful when they do end ; )

Bite your tongue, Monsieur Henning! 

[Brahmsian]

Hi Ray, I still have not got one of my own I managed to borrow the Karajan off a friend, and listened to Gotterdammerung which was excellent. So it will probably be the Karajan on my Christmas list! Read that you have just brought the Solti - enjoy!

If I ever get a 3rd set, it will be the Karajan Ring, for sure. 

Still waiting for the Solti Ring to arrive in the mail.  Should be very soon. 

[Lisztianwagner]

Hi Ray, I still have not got one of my own I managed to borrow the Karajan off a friend, and listened to Gotterdammerung which was excellent. So it will probably be the Karajan on my Christmas list! Read that you have just brought the Solti - enjoy!

That's great, Karajan's Ring Cycle is certainly one the best I've ever heard, it is definitely worth buying But you  have to start listening from Das Rheingold, the first of the Ring operas.

Also the Solti is excellent though, very passionate overwhelming, and so is the Barenboim too

[madaboutmahler]

That's great, Karajan's Ring Cycle is certainly one the best I've ever heard, it is definitely worth buying But you  have to start listening from Das Rheingold, the first of the Ring operas.

Also the Solti is excellent though, very passionate overwhelming, and so is the Barenboim too

Yes, I suppose I should have started with Das Rheingold... But I so desperately wanted to hear Gotterdammerung after being amazed by the excerpts I had heard, such as the Immolation Scene! I shall start from the beggining next time

Karajan, Solti and Barenboim are the three I am considering at the moment - if you had to pick one, Ilaria, which one would it be?

[Rinaldo]

Tabula Rasa. The individual instruments fall into silence as they're unable to keep with the tonal descent and then it's only the double bass drifting into eternity..