Best Endings

[steltz]

And speaking of Villa-Lobos, the Jet Whistle has a fantastic ending, with the flute imitating the train's whistle, etc. Great piece of chamber music!

[dwil9798]

Just listened to Hartmann's first symphony and I had forgotten what an awesome opening it had. You should check out Hartmann if you like any post WWII composer.

[dr927]

I could go on singing the ending of Cesar Franck's Symphony all day long.
In addition, Mahler's Second, Third, Eighth... and maybe even.
Oh, and the last two minutes of Brahms' First Symphony.

[Sergeï]

Just listened to KA Hartmann's Eighth Symphony, one of my favorites of his. It has a fantastic opening. His Sixth also opens with probably the second best bassoon solo in 20th century music (After Le Sacre of course).

I will dare to challenge you on that. What about Ravel's Mother Goose Suite (contrabasson, though)

Funny you should mention that, we just had that piece played in Lille, with Casadesus directing - brilliant. As for brilliant endings, to bring my post back on subject, I thought I'd mention Saint-Saëns' 3rd symphony. That last movement with the organ is extraordinary in its own right, but the Karajan/Cocherau version is simply astounding, especially when it comes to the very last measures: whereas most conductors use the final chords to finish the piece in style, Karajan and Cochereau cut them short, while effectively frustrating the listener... until they unleash the complete passion of the orchestra in the last note, which in comparison the cut-off chords before, quite simply stuns.

[allegroamabile]

A really lovely, delicate beginning are the opening measures of Sibelius's Symphony No. 5. The noble entrance the horns make with the timpani under it followed by the sweet responce by the oboe and clarinet is just heart warming...

[Raftuniversity]

Mahler 2 is a total catharsis - completely overwhelming.

Korngold's theme and variations (op. 42) is relentless

[allegroamabile]

Copland's Billy the Kid has a very emotional and climatic ending. I love the harp glissandos that elaborate the orchestral texture and push the music foward.

[Sergeï]

Mahler 2 is a total catharsis - completely overwhelming.

True. Too bad you have to go through the entire symphony to get there


At the complete opposite end of the spectrum, Mozart's Exsultate Jubilate manages to offer a beautiful ending to a very short piece. Simple, elegant, and unforgettable.

[lucio sansilvestre]

I belive Rachmaninov third piano concerto is really a splendid ending, and on the matter of a piano recital, Balakirev' Islamey is most efective, also an elegant ending is Glazunov's Concert Waltz

[pocoallegro]

The first that come to mind are the finale of Daphnis et Chloe, the final trio and duet in Der Rosenkavalier, the haunting finale of Vaughan Williams' London Symphony, and there are many many more!

[James P.]

I like the finale to Stravinsky's Firebird suite and Rimsky Korsicov's Sherezade for great endings.

[TheFirstCelloCYS]

What about best beginnings?

Beethoven- Symphony No. 5 (of course)
Beethoven- Symphony No. 8
Borodin- Polovtsian Dances
Borodin- Symphony No. 2
Glazunov- Symphony No. 1 in E major, Op. 5
Brahms- String Quintets Nos. 1 and 2
Handel- Music for the Royal Fireworks
Dvorak- Te Deum
Mendelssohn- Concert Piece No. 2 for Clarinet, Basset Horn, and Piano in D minor
Walter Piston- Violin Concerto No. 1
Johann Strauss II- Tales from the Vienna Woods (very serene opening)
Tchaikovsky- String Quartet No. 1
Wagner- Prelude to Die Miestersinger
Wagner- Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin
Weber- Overture to Euryanthe
Weber- Der Beherrscher der Geister (The Ruler of Spirits) Overture
Brahms- Symphony No. 3
Brahms- Symphony No. 1
Barber- Violin Concerto, Op. 11
Barber- Symphony No. 2
Barber- Overture to "The School for Scandal"
Bartok- The Miraculous Mandarin, Sz. 73
Prokofiev- Russian Overture
Borodin- String Quartet No. 2
Mozart- Requiem
Hindemith- Clarinet Sonata
Copland- Appalachian Spring (very transcendental)
Haydn- The Creation
Rimsky-Korsakov- Procession of the Nobles from Mlada
William Schuman- George Washington Bridge
Beethoven- String Quartet No. 7, "Rasumovsky"
William Grant Still- Festive Overture

I could go on forever, but I generally like beginnings that get going right at the first note. If anyone catches your eye, you should definitely take look at it.

dont forget Borodin String Quartet No.1! i consider it to be one of the most beuatiful openings ever,its so......blast,words cant even describe it.

[pjones235]

Bach: Cantata No. 54 (Widerstehe Doch Der Sunde)...wooooow.
Bach (C.P.E.): Symphonies, Wq. 183 - all very surprising, except No. 4, which is just nice

I must say I agree with you.
Robert Schumann's Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54 has an awesome ending.

[reynard61]

Personal favorites (in no particular order):

Brahms' Symphony No. 1
Mahler's Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2
Dvořák's Symphony No. 9
Judex Crederis from Berlioz's Te Deum -- Yeah, the WHOLE thing!
Liszt's Les Preludes -- especially starting at "K" in the Dover/Breitkopf & Härtel score.
"Juchhe! Der Wein ist da!" from Haydn's Die Jahreszeiten (The Seasons)
Alla Marcia from Sibelius' The Karelia Suite
Sibelius' Finlandia
Beethoven's Sym. No. 6

This list is hardly exhaustive; but I'm exhausted, so I'm going to bed.

[NLewis]

Favorites in no order:

Endings

Brahms Symphonies Nos.1 and 3
Borodin - Polovtsian dances
Villa-Lobos - Choros 10
Villa-Lobos Sexteto Mistico (I'm sure everyone will disagree with me on that)
Scriabin - Piano sonata No.5 (Richter recording)
Respighi - Prince of Rome
Stravinsky - Firebird, Rite of Spring, Rake's Progress
Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition (Has this been mentioned?? If not, I'm shocked)
Mahler - 2nd symphony
Shostakovich - Symphonies Nos. 5, 7 (first movement), and 15
Bruckner - 4th symphony
John Cage's 4'33 (just kidding)
Vaughan Williams - Symphony No.6, 2nd mvt
Bartok 2nd violin concerto, 3rd movement
Prokofiev fifth symphony, 4th mov
Brahms 1st string sextet
Shostakovich - first violin concerto 2nd movement. The recapitulation is ingenious IMHO

Best Openings

Brahms first symphony - the melodic pulling of the two lines and the choral sound of the top four parts of breathtakingly inspired, dramatic, and intense.
Borodin string quartet No.2.... The first movement and 3rd. Such beautiful music.
Prokofiev - sonata for 2 violins third movement. Also contains what I call one of the greatest melodies of all time.
Ravel - String quartet in F major