Favorite Finale

[Desplat13 1]

What is your favorite finale/culmination of themes? I mean the big last hurrah of a piece, the finalizing resolution, where the composer uses all the means at his disposal to move you after having prepared you through the rest of work. Film or classical music (or anything else).

My favorite: Last three and a half minutes of the third movement of Rachmaninoff's 3rd concerto. In my opinion, probably the best three and a half minutes of music ever written.

Colin Thomson

[Sixers 0]

Lemme be the first to say, The Visitors/"Bye"/End Titles from Close Encounters.

[Henry B 50]

Stravinsky's Firebird. Close Encounters. Babes in Arms. The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast. Attack of the Clones. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The Phantom of the Opera. Batman. Final Fantasy IX. The Terminal.

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

What is your favorite finale/culmination of themes? I mean the big last hurrah of a piece, the finalizing resolution, where the composer uses all the means at his disposal to move you after having prepared you through the rest of work. Film or classical music (or anything else).

My favorite: Last three and a half minutes of the third movement of Rachmaninoff's 3rd concerto. In my opinion, probably the best three and a half minutes of music ever written.

Colin Thomson

Colin, I honestly was going to say the end of Rach 3rd. Impossible to not get goose bumps listening to those last few mins, especially as a culmination. And the absolute best recording of this 3rd movement is Kissin with Ozawa and the Boston Symphony on RCA. His 1st movement is painfully slow, but nothing tops his 3rd movement.

[Hitch 57]

Cue "The Discovery" from a famous 1960 B&W movie directed by yours truly.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

The Phantom of the Opera

Yay! I'm glad to see someone else appreciates the amazing conclusion to this show....from the "Masquerade" music box at the start of the finale, to the reprise of "All I Ask of You," to the final glorious orchestral outburst of "Music of the Night" ending with that wonderfully strange chord progression, it's a great wrap-up to the story.

What first came to mind as far as film scores are concerned was E.T. Yeah, it's obvious, but it's a hugely emotional catharsis that serves as an immensely satisfying payoff in terms of sheer exhilaration and thematic conclusion, with the buildup of the main flying theme to the "rainbow trumpets" leading into the final, grand horn statement of the "alien" theme.

[Wycket 36]

"Finale" from Batman by Danny Elfman.

"Farwell" from Spider-Man by Danny Elfman

"A New Hope / End Credits" from Revenge of the Sith by John Williams

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

Another non-film one I would add is the climax of Brahms 1st Symphony (4th movement).

E.T. gets my vote for films.

[Beowulf 4]

What is your favorite finale/culmination of themes? I mean the big last hurrah of a piece, the finalizing resolution, where the composer uses all the means at his disposal to move you after having prepared you through the rest of work. Film or classical music (or anything else).

My favorite: Last three and a half minutes of the third movement of Rachmaninoff's 3rd concerto. In my opinion, probably the best three and a half minutes of music ever written.

Colin Thomson

Oh man, hearing Rachmaninoff's '3rd Piano Concerto' live is one of the greatest moments in my life (now to only perform it one day )

I quite like the end to Gershwin's 'American in Paris' - it pretty much sums up the entire piece nicely. I also like the protracted ending to Shostakovich's 'Seventh Symphony'.

[Quintus 5,399]

Independence Day's climax/fade to black.

Return Of The Jedi End Credits.

Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet, for it's stunning harp, strings and brass finale.

[wartex 0]

4th movment of Dvorak 9 symphony

[tpigeon 3]

Nobody, and I mean nobody in film scoring these days can write a finale like Danny Elfman. (Although James Newton Howard is climbing the ranks.) His "Grand Finale" for the film, Edward Scissorhands, in particular is gorgeous and achingly beautiful.

Ted

[Red 75]

Star Wars

Amistad

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

[Desplat13 1]

What is your favorite finale/culmination of themes? I mean the big last hurrah of a piece, the finalizing resolution, where the composer uses all the means at his disposal to move you after having prepared you through the rest of work. Film or classical music (or anything else).

My favorite: Last three and a half minutes of the third movement of Rachmaninoff's 3rd concerto. In my opinion, probably the best three and a half minutes of music ever written.

Colin Thomson

Colin, I honestly was going to say the end of Rach 3rd. Impossible to not get goose bumps listening to those last few mins, especially as a culmination. And the absolute best recording of this 3rd movement is Kissin with Ozawa and the Boston Symphony on RCA. His 1st movement is painfully slow, but nothing tops his 3rd movement.

I've only ever heard the Kissin performance on youtube, so I cannot really judge that. But the Arcadi Volodos version is what I have and it is amazing (though Horowitz is, as always, the master of this piece also).

And yes, Beowulf. To play that piece is one of my lifelong ambitions. Someday...

Colin Thomson

[pi 0]

I actually played the C and D Minor Rachmaninoff Concerti a few years ago. Hardest part is that little super fast Eb scherzo in the 3rd movement.

I think I have just about every single recording released of the Rachmaninoff, the best by far is the Volodos. Also the Liev Ove Andnes is great. Both are sensational live peformances.

Ive seen it live a bunch of times all over the US, gives me the chills after that last note.

The andre watts is unique because the finale he takes the closing riff in eights not triplet quarter notes. But he also has a few cuts that he takes.

Martha Agerich has the fastest tempo of the third movement.

Not a fan of the

And I hate when they take the short cadenza (my teacher made me) in the first movement. The story goes Rachmaninoff wrote the long huge one first,

it wouldnt fit on the record so then he wrote the short one.

Ok sorry - huge Rach fan, I have played most all of his music.

Also love the Throne Room Finale of Star wars into the end credits, pretty exciting.

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

I actually played the C and D Minor Rachmaninoff Concerti a few years ago. Hardest part is that little super fast Eb scherzo in the 3rd movement.

I think I have just about every single recording released of the Rachmaninoff, the best by far is the Volodos. Also the Liev Ove Andnes is great. Both are sensational live peformances.

Ive seen it live a bunch of times all over the US, gives me the chills after that last note.

The andre watts is unique because the finale he takes the closing riff in eights not triplet quarter notes. But he also has a few cuts that he takes.

Martha Agerich has the fastest tempo of the third movement.

Not a fan of the

And I hate when they take the short cadenza (my teacher made me) in the first movement. The story goes Rachmaninoff wrote the long huge one first,

it wouldnt fit on the record so then he wrote the short one.

Ok sorry - huge Rach fan, I have played most all of his music.

Also love the Throne Room Finale of Star wars into the end credits, pretty exciting.

I've played parts of the Rach 2, but have not attempted #3. Props to you for learning such a hard concerto. I have learned Prokofiev 2nd which many people consider harder, but I think Rach 3 is the hardest in the repertoire.

Volodos' recording disappointed me a bit. His transcriptions are amazing, but his Rach stuff didn't impress me. I agree on Argerich. Fastest tempo, but it does nothing for me. I have not heard Liev Ove Andnes's recording.

What are your thoughts on Kissin's live recording with Ozawa? If can look past his painfully slow 1st movement, it's amazing. He takes all the ridiculous "ossia" passages, including one that is pure insanity (to do it live boggles my mind). And as far as the end of the 3rd movement, I can't think of any rival. Another great one is Horatio Gutierrez.

[indy4 155]

The Hand of Fate - Signs

The Grand Finale - Edward Scissorhands

The Great Eatlon - Lady In The Water

The Big Jolt! - Jaws 2

Victory Celebration - Return of the Jedi

Farewell - Pocahontas

Let's Go Fly A Kite - Mary Poppins

Finale - Big Fish

Journey to the Grey Havens - Return of the King

The Road Goes Ever On...Pt 1. - Fellowship of the Ring

Reunion of Friends - Chamber of Secrets

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Il Triello.

The greatest finale of all.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

Anton Bruckner, Symphony #4, Coda. Unbeatable. Though the coda of the 8th comes close.

The Götterdämmerung finale is one of the best, too.

[Taikomochi 1,136]

"End Title" - To Kill A Mockingbird

psh. it's not really all the themes being played as there's only 1, but I loved the final 10 seconds or so. It truly leaves me with a feel good sense.

[Joe Brausam 214]

Anton Bruckner, Symphony #4, Coda. Unbeatable. Though the coda of the 8th comes close.

The Götterdämmerung finale is one of the best, too.

I'm going to say Götterdämmerung as well. It really is incredible!

I just watched the finale from one of the more modern Bayreuth stagings on youtube - it was my first time hearing the music with visuals. Even though I didn't care for the staging the visuals did add a whole new level of power to the music.

[King Mark 3,631]

Edit.Choices not good,misunderstood thread topic

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

I just watched the finale from one of the more modern Bayreuth stagings on youtube - it was my first time hearing the music with visuals. Even though I didn't care for the staging the visuals did add a whole new level of power to the music.

Depends on the visuals. The old staging here (which is in the process of being replaced, though the new GD won't premiere until next season) just had the props vanishing from the stage, leaving just the Rhine in red light and nothing happening during the entire coda. Rather anticlimactic, but not nearly as lame as the Stuttgart staging I once saw on TV: There the lights apparently just went off at the beginning of the coda. The TV broadcast then displayed Wagner's staging instructions as a scrolling text, but my impression was that the actual staging just was nothing but blackness. Sometimes I really wonder if directors believe Wagner just wrote lengthy instructions so they could completely disregard them.

[Desplat13 1]

I actually played the C and D Minor Rachmaninoff Concerti a few years ago. Hardest part is that little super fast Eb scherzo in the 3rd movement.

I think I have just about every single recording released of the Rachmaninoff, the best by far is the Volodos. Also the Liev Ove Andnes is great. Both are sensational live peformances.

Ive seen it live a bunch of times all over the US, gives me the chills after that last note.

The andre watts is unique because the finale he takes the closing riff in eights not triplet quarter notes. But he also has a few cuts that he takes.

Martha Agerich has the fastest tempo of the third movement.

Not a fan of the

And I hate when they take the short cadenza (my teacher made me) in the first movement. The story goes Rachmaninoff wrote the long huge one first,

it wouldnt fit on the record so then he wrote the short one.

Ok sorry - huge Rach fan, I have played most all of his music.

Also love the Throne Room Finale of Star wars into the end credits, pretty exciting.

I've played parts of the Rach 2, but have not attempted #3. Props to you for learning such a hard concerto. I have learned Prokofiev 2nd which many people consider harder, but I think Rach 3 is the hardest in the repertoire.

Volodos' recording disappointed me a bit. His transcriptions are amazing, but his Rach stuff didn't impress me. I agree on Argerich. Fastest tempo, but it does nothing for me. I have not heard Liev Ove Andnes's recording.

What are your thoughts on Kissin's live recording with Ozawa? If can look past his painfully slow 1st movement, it's amazing. He takes all the ridiculous "ossia" passages, including one that is pure insanity (to do it live boggles my mind). And as far as the end of the 3rd movement, I can't think of any rival. Another great one is Horatio Gutierrez.

You know, I have heard a lot about how Kissin's performance is too slow on the first movement, but when I listened to it, it really didn't bother me. I thought it was an interesting take on such a commonly played piece.

Of course, Argerich is always amazing.

Colin Thomson

[Joe Brausam 214]

I just watched the finale from one of the more modern Bayreuth stagings on youtube - it was my first time hearing the music with visuals. Even though I didn't care for the staging the visuals did add a whole new level of power to the music.

Depends on the visuals. The old staging here (which is in the process of being replaced, though the new GD won't premiere until next season) just had the props vanishing from the stage, leaving just the Rhine in red light and nothing happening during the entire coda. Rather anticlimactic, but not nearly as lame as the Stuttgart staging I once saw on TV: There the lights apparently just went off at the beginning of the coda. The TV broadcast then displayed Wagner's staging instructions as a scrolling text, but my impression was that the actual staging just was nothing but blackness. Sometimes I really wonder if directors believe Wagner just wrote lengthy instructions so they could completely disregard them.

That's a real shame. I can understand deviating from the instructions from time to time to give a fresh perspective - but the finale is supposed to be this huge, epic event. I'd feel pretty cheated by something like what you described if I paid to attend those productions. I'd really love to attend this opera, if not all of them, the next time the New York Met puts on a production of it...so I really genuinly hope they don't do something like that!

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

What is your favorite finale/culmination of themes? I mean the big last hurrah of a piece, the finalizing resolution, where the composer uses all the means at his disposal to move you after having prepared you through the rest of work. Film or classical music (or anything else).

My favorite: Last three and a half minutes of the third movement of Rachmaninoff's 3rd concerto. In my opinion, probably the best three and a half minutes of music ever written.

Colin Thomson

Colin, I honestly was going to say the end of Rach 3rd. Impossible to not get goose bumps listening to those last few mins, especially as a culmination. And the absolute best recording of this 3rd movement is Kissin with Ozawa and the Boston Symphony on RCA. His 1st movement is painfully slow, but nothing tops his 3rd movement.

I've only ever heard the Kissin performance on youtube, so I cannot really judge that. But the Arcadi Volodos version is what I have and it is amazing (though Horowitz is, as always, the master of this piece also).

Yes Horowitz' rendition was so good that Rachhmaninoff himself preferred it over his own... but then again Rachmaninoff never heard Kissin.

I've seen that YouTube video and it just doesn't come close to doing it justice. Go do yourself a favor, go shell out the 15 bucks for the CD, put on a quality set of ear phones, and say hi to God for me when you get to heaven. I have about two thousand classical albums, and I can honestly say this one is in my top 5.

[SeekUYoda 0]

Finale 2001, I guess because I memorized all the keyboard shortcuts and everything was super-fast. But when I upgraded to 2007 & 2008 I got all the Garritan sounds, so maybe that's my favorite?

Oh, wait. The other kind of finale.

Being a horn player, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the finale of Beethoven 7. There's a great story about a horn player getting out of a speeding ticket because he was listening to Beethoven 7 and was so excited that he was driving too fast. The officer listened to some of it and let him go!

I definitely agree about the end of Phantom. It's amazing. And the end of Les Mis is fantastic too!

Another one that no one's mentioned is the end of the 2nd movement of Brahms 2nd symphony. Hear it live if you can, and with string bass players who have the extension on their low string so they get the low C. The whole thing is in E, but there's a C major chord near the end that's absolutely heart-wrenching. I think it might be the only C major in the whole movement, and when the basses can go down to that C (instead of up the octave) you can literally feel the sound.

[Pieter Boelen 740]

The end of The Battle/To Dawg's Ship/Morgan Battles Dawg/Dawg's Demise/The Triumph from Cutthroat Island and then again the end of It's Only Gold/End Credits from the same film. Actually these both tracks constitute almost 30 minutes of sheer bliss.

[Desplat13 1]

What is your favorite finale/culmination of themes? I mean the big last hurrah of a piece, the finalizing resolution, where the composer uses all the means at his disposal to move you after having prepared you through the rest of work. Film or classical music (or anything else).

My favorite: Last three and a half minutes of the third movement of Rachmaninoff's 3rd concerto. In my opinion, probably the best three and a half minutes of music ever written.

Colin Thomson

Colin, I honestly was going to say the end of Rach 3rd. Impossible to not get goose bumps listening to those last few mins, especially as a culmination. And the absolute best recording of this 3rd movement is Kissin with Ozawa and the Boston Symphony on RCA. His 1st movement is painfully slow, but nothing tops his 3rd movement.

I've only ever heard the Kissin performance on youtube, so I cannot really judge that. But the Arcadi Volodos version is what I have and it is amazing (though Horowitz is, as always, the master of this piece also).

Yes Horowitz' rendition was so good that Rachhmaninoff himself preferred it over his own... but then again Rachmaninoff never heard Kissin.

I've seen that YouTube video and it just doesn't come close to doing it justice. Go do yourself a favor, go shell out the 15 bucks for the CD, put on a quality set of ear phones, and say hi to God for me when you get to heaven. I have about two thousand classical albums, and I can honestly say this one is in my top 5.

Ok, you convinced me. I just bought it. Now, I just have to wait...

Colin Thomson

[robthehand 3]

The Fury and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

[Richard Penna 3,690]

The end of The Battle/To Dawg's Ship/Morgan Battles Dawg/Dawg's Demise/The Triumph from Cutthroat Island and then again the end of It's Only Gold/End Credits from the same film. Actually these both tracks constitute almost 30 minutes of sheer bliss.

And once you've finished reading the track names you can start listening to the music

Some of these have already been mentioned, but they have endings that really made me sit there sweating almost:

Signs

Lady in the Water

I Am Legend

The Water Horse (I have to air conduct The Jump - it's such an amazing moment)

King Kong

Hook

Road to Perdition

Shawshank Redemption

Perfume

The final episode of Robin Hood, series 1 also had some great music, and the final shot of the gang with the main theme crashing was such a magical moment, because both the audience and the characters are feeling exactly the same thing.

[David Coscina 3]

The penultimate cue from Accidental Tourist is my favorite film score finale of all time still although I really do love Goldsmith's Finale and End Credits from PAPILLON.

For classical music, it's got to be Mahler's The Farewell from Song of the Earth. Mind you, his final movement from his 9th Symphony is also pretty moving.

[MSM 126]

Film music:

1) Theme from Sabrina, what a wonderful classical style yet modernly harmonized piano solo ending.

2) T-rex Rescue and Finale from Jurassic Park.

3) Arrival of Tink from Hook. That ending I could listen to a thousend times over and over again.

4) Midway March (By Request re-arrangement)

5) The Balloon Sequence from Witches of Eastwick (City of Prague Philharmonic arrangement)

6) Christmas Quilt from Stepmom

Classical music: The very last minute of Swan Lake ballet by Tschaikovsky. It could have been taken right from a Hollywood movie, in lush Korngold/Williams style.

[Trent Hoyt 13]

"The Forest Battle"

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

I'd really love to attend this opera, if not all of them, the next time the New York Met puts on a production of it...so I really genuinly hope they don't do something like that!

Well, they're using the Otto Schenk stagings, which according to all I've read and pictures I've seen, and my experience with Schenk's stagings (we do have a couple of them here, of course) must be fabulous. I have to get my hands on those DVDs someday.

[Carnifex 5]

Independence Day's climax/fade to black.

Return Of The Jedi End Credits.

Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet, for it's stunning harp, strings and brass finale.

Yes Independence Day came to my mind first. What an ending: Farewell-Launching the Ship, Lift off-Mothership-Rebellion, Jolly Rager, Independence Day, End Titles. That is something hard to comprehend. All in one aimed for making your mind numb.

Why did I start to listen to film music? Oh yes finales finales finales!

Classical candidate is no doubt Finale for Sibelius' 2nd symphony with those brass instruments.

[King Mark 3,631]

oh wait,it's favourite finale of a cue,not Finale in a film...

K.M.

[Trent Hoyt 13]

oh wait,it's favourite finale of a cue,not Finale in a film...

K.M.

"The Forest Battle"

[King Mark 3,631]

New Choices:

Hedwig's Theme

The Raiders March

End Credits of CE3K Special Edition version

Reunion of Friends

The Miracle (Heidi)

Personnal chauffeur/Electric Sagebush/Will threatened -Lost in Space Island in the Sky

The Landing -Amazing Stories the Mission

Gloria -Monsignor

Baloon Sequence-Witches of Eastwick

White Sands-Spacecamp

Escape in the Milleneum Falcon-ESB

Peter's Rescue-Seven Year in tibet

End Credits -The Poseidon Adventure

Abandonned in the Woods-A.I.

Gillian's Power-The Fury

Summon the Heroes

The Destruction of Xizors Palace -SotE

A Good Start (or The Enterprise)-Star Trek The Motion Picture

[Henry B 50]

oh wait,it's favourite finale of a cue,not Finale in a film...

K.M.

I think the original post specified the finale of a film or a concert work. But it's not like the distinction is important.

[Desplat13 1]

oh wait,it's favourite finale of a cue,not Finale in a film...

K.M.

I think the original post specified the finale of a film or a concert work. But it's not like the distinction is important.

Yeah, I think that is what I said. But it doesn't matter, any finale that you love.

Colin Thomson

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Not that it's one of the all-time best, but the end credits of The Reivers (though nearly identical to the opening track/concert arrangement) closes with a fun new twist on the main theme. It was a nice surprise when I first listened to the score.

[MSM 126]

oh wait,it's favourite finale of a cue,not Finale in a film...

K.M.

I think the original post specified the finale of a film or a concert work. But it's not like the distinction is important.

I thought it was about endings of musical pieces

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

Musical works, rather. When the work as a whole comes to an end.

[King Mark 3,631]

This thread has many meanings

[John Crichton 4]

Or perhaps it has no meaning...

[indy4 155]

In terms of induvidual cues, I'd like to add "The Cowboys Overture" on the By Request CD. And "The Forest Battle," "Clash of Lightsabers," "Remembering Childhood," and more.

[King Mark 3,631]

The Forest Battle

This is one of the rare times I find Williams went over the top .The ending actually annoys me

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

It is a tad prolonged. I don't really mind, though.

[John Crichton 4]

If it's the concert piece of The Forest Battle we're talking about, I love it. All those false endings and restarts are great. I'd be annoying if he made a habit of ending his concert pieces that way, but it's unique.