Epic Classical Music: 10 More Dramatic Endings

[@ianw1976]

Somewhere...a Mahler symphony is still ending.

[@guidepost42]

Probably but that depends on the conductor' s tempo. It is said that the audience is still awaiting the finale chord of Mahler 2nd as interpreted by Celibidache, The down beat to the first movement took place at 8:21 PM January 2nd, 1972.

[@dclrk62]

I have had the great privilege of singing Beethoven's 9th 3 times and Mahler's 2nd three times in concert. The first time I sang Mahler's 2nd I had tears rolling my face during the performance. So powerful. I didn't even notice. The singer next to me pointed it out to me as we got standing ovation over and over again.

[@bernardfrouin6349]

And probably the shortest dramatic ending ever: the last note of Mahler's 6th. Never been so overwhlemed by a single note. So powerful!

[@f.p.2010]

the entire last movement is a literal train wreck. that last chord and the fate theme afterwards just kill me

[@karinwijnberg9489]

@@f.p.2010 Absolutely

[@ecw0647]

@@f.p.2010 well, figurative, anyway.

[@davidholloway6950]

Who else loves Mahler?

[@pupsteufelchen]

Me

[@karinwijnberg9489]

@@pupsteufelchen me too. His 9th is epic. The adagio is heavenly music. Best adagio ever

[@ellaritter]

i don't know what would become of me without him!! mahler and sibelius are my absolute favorites of all time!! 💞

[@EminAnimE1]

I don't.

[@陳懷生-y7w]

Here

[@nicholasharshbarger4454]

I feel like Saint Saens’ 3rd really doesn’t get enough love. It has my absolute favorite final movement of any symphony.

[@jefolson6989]

I think it's a marvelous work experience live. The slow movement is also gorgeous.

[@duskyviolets2560]

13:30-14:30 sent chills up my spine and made me a bit short of breath...that was so beautiful and powerful

[@tedpiano]

Wait till you hear the whole thing (Listen to Gielen)

[@EminAnimE1]

That's Mahler for you.

[@MD-md4th]

Overblown nonsense. Grandiose narcissism - especially the final sequence. What came before is better, though still noisy.

[@davekeyes5589]

A heartfelt thanks for including Nielsen’s 4th. I cannot understand why he isn’t wildly popular, his music is both incredible and accessible.

[@stephenchakwin4894]

The Fifth is another great Nielsen symphony. Maybe the greatest. And it has a spectacular ending.

[@leskrapps7021]

2:07-2:42 makes me wonder why I didn"t start listening to classical music earlier. Wow

[@joaqpalmer5960]

You are never late

[@청음E]

@@joaqpalmer5960 such a conment

[@SaintSaens0]

yah that endings pretty good

[@blindazabat9527]

The Poem of Ecstacy is my all-time favourite finale. Especially live, when people start clapping before tha last blast, hoping it's over. Boy, are the in for a last shock!!!! :D :D I saw it directed by Svetlanov and the Moscum Symphony Orchestra or something like that (some time ago!). I'm still in therapy :D

[@midnighter1339]

I'm so glad you included Bruckner 8 - that finale is one of my favorite pieces of all time and although I use the word rarely, it really is "epic" in every sense

[@davekeyes5589]

I completely agree with you as it is the climax of everything that has come before it. As a stand alone, though, I’d have to go with the coda of the 4th, especially with Celibidache. A mere quibble, though, as all Bruckner finales are marvelous.

[@OscarEDodier]

Ohhhh this Scriabin recording of Poeme!!!!!! It made me gasp for air.....I ceased to exist momentarily!!!!

[@patricktulher]

Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony it's brillant. The ending is my favorite part.

[@lunar.6091]

The ending gives me chills

[@duongnguyenngoc9160]

5th too!

[@jamesoliver6625]

Close brother. His 4th is his best symphonic essay. His 8th is the best piece of music he wrote. The entire suite of War Symphonies (which starts with the 4th, ends with the 9th) are a complete novel of life. There is strong evidence that at least three mvts of the 7th had been at least sketched before the Germans laid siege to Leningrad tending to the notion that it was originally written in response to the previous 10 years or so of soviet life.

[@OdinLimaye]

Scriabin's Poem of Ecstasy remains one of the greatest and most emotionally impactful pieces of music ever composed in human history.

[@sergeyklimenkov]

Базаришь

[@DanielKRui]

I always loved the climactic C#-minor chord near the end of Rachmaninoff's 2nd symphony. The fact that the motto theme (which opens the piece on the low strings in E minor, basically an hour before) is played by the trumpets in E major during that moment makes it all the more musically significant.

[@Dylonely_9274]

Indeed

[@richeasley3627]

Love your choices and thanks for discovering the Poem of Ecstasy. I didn't know it. Also thanks for including the transcendent Resurrection. No finer interpreter, in my opinion, of the breadth and scope of Mahler's music than Bernstein. He wasn't afraid of the emotion however out sized it might appear. He reveled in it. Bravo.

[@ommgafar2010]

The same here for Scribian.

[@stephenchakwin4894]

He more than revelled in it. He wallowed in it and the music often got lost in all his splashing around.

[@johansmith6747]

So glad you closed this one with Poem of Ecstasy, I must have listened to it almost 1000 times and it has never once lost its impact

[@alexcampea7051]

THANK YOU. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND MAHLER’S SYMPHONY #2 FOR THE BETTER PART OF A DECADE. It was one of the songs in my Music Listening Competition in middle school. I remember loving it so much but couldn’t remember the title or any way to accurately describe it in a search. You have made my DECADE. Thank you ❤️❤️❤️

[@prometheanevent]

Glad you included the Leningrad. Amazing finale particularly in view of the historical context.

[@missusgumby]

I found it to be a wonderful experience to play The Poem of Ecstasy, which I did professionally on extra 1st french horn. It's one of those works where you can play as loud as possible. It is said that the ending has the loudest chord ever written.

[@AM-zy9ow]

1) Symphony no 9, Beethoven, 00:00 2) Symohony no 3,Saint-Saëns, 01:29 3) Francesca da Rimini,Tchaikovsky, 02:46 4) Alexander Nevsky, Prokofiev, 03:29 5) Symphony no 4, Nielsen, 04:40 6) Symphony no 2, Mahler, 06:02 7) Symphony no 7, Shostakovich, 08:14 8)Symphony no 8 , Bruckner, 10:40 9) Symphonie no 8, Mahler, 12:00 10) The poem of Ecstasy, Scriabin, 14:56

[@bartbart6817]

Thank you for creating this. I loved them both and cried like a baby. I learned a lot of new stuff! But I think you completely forgot Wagner? My favourite: Elsa’s procession to the cathedral? And what about Bruckner’s carnival ouverture. I know it’s an ouverture - but the last 5 mins or more are a finale to me - the tear down the place.

[@trillasupremacy5738]

This is absolutely brilliant. You did all these pieces Justice

[@cameronstefan1244]

The recording of Prokofiev’s “Cantata For The 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution” with Mark Elder conducting has to be the best ending I have ever heard in Classical music.

[@pepperwilliams4428]

In 2020, Beethoven is still KING!

[@jackgonzalez7727]

In 2023, still is.

[@stephenreade1602]

The organ is more "felt" than "heard" ... wow! ... that's RIGHT! A live performance of SS's 3rd is now on MY bucket list!

[@andreasmeissner]

Alexander Scriabins "POEM" was a new discovery for me. And what a one! 😳 I simply could not breath any further at the corresponding passage. Unbelievably powerful! Thank you for expanding my horizons.

[@davidkavanagh-k2y]

My son played principal horn in the 3rd 4th and 5th movements in the Seattle Youth Symphony for Mahler 2 in 2010. It was epic! Mahler is amazing.

[@ConnerAPiano]

I came back to your original video and saw that you had uploaded a new one. I immediately watched this and loved it. I'm really glad that you included poem of ecstasy in this becuase I saw it in the description of your first video and went to take a listen. I fell in love immediately with it. No words could describe it. Thanks for this

[@sponge917]

+That 13 y/o Pianist Thank you very much! :)

[@pepe4rock]

yes scriabin is just another league, also love the ending of his "prometheus or the poem of fire"

[@davidsimons5944]

I have Nielsen's Inextinguishable. The highlight for me is the 2 timpanists panned left & right & going completely mental!

[@sanndit0095]

my guy beethooven was deaf , and he created the most epic iconic music in the world , maybe history , the very first one i said who the heck can compose such a thing when is everything chaotic and wonderfull ... speechless

[@dcar6530]

They are majestic powerful endings! I would like to add Dvorak from the new world, Mozart jupiter, Beethoven fate, Shostakovich 11 toscin, Wagner Tannhauser ending, Wagner gotterdammerung finale, Mahler titan, Sibelius 2, Stravinsky the rite of spring, Shostakovich 5.

[@yulaserio]

Thank you! I'll listen them all complete. I think that Shostakovich's 11 ending should be here.

[@theend7339]

yulaserio i clicked on this video just to see if it was here haha

[@oleflogger6828]

So, his 7th isn't enough?

[@alanfoster6589]

Good call...the Tocsin!

[@davekeyes5589]

I agree. The 11th is underappreciated imo. Kondrachin’s (?sp) recording is phenomenal.

[@jerryhuang9674]

Check out Bruckner Symphony No.4's ending conducted by Sergiu Celibidache or Klaus Tennstedt. When I heard it for the first time, it was like Bruckner walking to the heaven, step by step.

[@davekeyes5589]

Celibidache’s Fourth is a gift to the world. No one does the finale like he did.

[@lindildeev5721]

The finale of Mahler's second symphony didn't make me feel ascending. It made me feel becoming an all-powerful goddess.

[@jamesoliver6625]

Me neither. For all his efforts Mahler failed in comparison to "Tod und Verklärung", R. Strauss....IMO

[@stevielagan1948]

What an awesome comment. I love you!!!

[@alexanderkelley9263]

that final suspension with the sopranos is the greatest music ever written

[@philiphautzinger8365]

I would also include Mahlers 3rd as well as the 9th for the best ending. Bruckners 4th in Chelibidaches recording is also VERY good! But in total, very nice list :D

[@hillcresthiker]

Totally agree

[@alainanticoli5785]

How in the world could you forget to include the final movement of Respighi’s Pines of Rome - by far the most epic ending ever!!

[@azri9640]

Omg, thanks for giving the background stories of each pieces 😍😍😍

[@Metrofin1]

We are spoilt for choice!.Mahler 5,Tch 4,Tch 5 (without cymbal crash),SS Organ Sym (Munch),Kalinnikov 2 (Jarvi),Brahms 2,Sibelius 5 (Bernstein) + 1000 more, some marvellous stuff.

[@alexbouffler8577]

What about The Firebird?

[@Metrofin1]

Certainly!

[@rcbuggies57]

That note about mahler reminded me why I always come back to symphonies 1,5, and 6. Such incredible orchestration that is thick and satisfying without the need of a monumental orchestra. Especially with the finale of 1 and the first movement of 5.

[@MrMrtnpnzn]

Thank you! Thank You! Thank You! Love the captions and the little stories behind each ending, great job making a selection with the best interpretations.

[@jobvink]

Wow I actually thought you were saving Mahler 8 for last, but Scriabin indeed is an unexpected but actually very good choice for the no. 1 position of your video. I love every work on the list. Seems the film music to Alexander Nevsky is a work for me to go and explore; I like the teaser in your video. Saint-Saëns 3 was the first ever classical work I adored and had a cd of. It always made me cry tears of joy when the organ got crazy with all the stops open at the end. Bruckner 8, Mahler 2 and even Beethoven 9, wow wow wow! Thanks for sharing!

[@청음E]

actually, Mahler's almost all Symphony's Finale is best...

[@DynastieArtistique]

Even the 4th

[@ellaritter]

that man just doesn't know how to compose bad pieces! every single one of them are jaw dropping

[@istamptimes8112]

This is by far the most personally-satisfying list ever made, Mahler's 2nd&8th, Shosty's 7th and Scriabin's 4th for finale!

[@pega17pl]

(11:40) There were only two conductors able to play the finale in Bruckner's 8th without smearing the 4 themes: Celibidache and Munich Symphonic Orchestra, and G. Wand with his NDR Symphonic Orchestra. - Heinz

[@nadialoewke5713]

Nice try at getting the best finales. No easy task. You made me aware of some lesser known composers (to me that is) Thank you

[@peggyeggers6268]

Love your comments! what a hoot!. great job compiling. I've sung with St.Louis Symphony chorus and sung all these choral works, yeah live is something else, especially when you behind the French horns! We sang Nevsky live while they showed the movie. Awesome.

[@EASYTIGER10]

Never has so much hair stood up on the back of my neck!

[@Josep489]

Love your selection. Its hard to fight Mahler if we are talking about awesome and epic orchestral finales. Saint Saens is algo big , but I preffer more Prokofiev instead Saint Saens. Love your choice of Alexander Nevsky, also, but I miss the very big finales of Ivan the terrible (Muti, CSO) and the Cantata for the 20th aniversary of the october revolution. Heck yeah. There you have massive destroy.

[@JWentu]

I truly loved your first video, especially because it made me discover the choral version of 1812 overtoure. But it was missing what is probably (imo) the best finale of all. And here we have it! Mahler's 2nd symphony, in (one of ?) the best rendition, Bernstein. I listen over and over to that finale and everytime I have this wonderful sensation of fulfilment. I need so badly to listen to it live...

[@hillcresthiker]

Thats because the Mahler 2 is the greatest piece of music produced by human civilization!

[@jamesbattista1466]

Yeah, well GO! DUDE! I used to think like that, how nice it would be to hear it live. I decided, as you must, to MAKE IT HAPPEN! No excuses. It will be a watershed moment of your life to hear Mahler2 live in concert.

[@Triggerbehappy3D]

Definitely hope you will continue making these. :)

[@ErnestoMartinez-ul8jq]

Scriabin the best composer ever ! ! !

[@michaelmay3289]

Love your wee comments. Thank you.lf music be the food of love play on..

[@antoinebrgt]

Very good selection, and excellent quality of sound! And your comments are very welcome :)

[@BashJP]

I’ve never heard Francesca da Rimini this fast and I love it!

[@id-jj7sk]

the climax to Lever du Jour from Daphnis et Chloe by Ravel would be a nice touch

[@victorstewart395]

I watched the first video and in the end I was like "Wow yes amazing, but where are this one and this one and this one..?" and well, they were all here, that's why xD amazing dude! Not only a great selection, but the recording versions you chose (though take a look to Dudamel's Mahler 2nd at the Proms version, it's just the greatest) and the comments..just marvelous! Good job :)

[@hamthemanster]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Thank you.

[@JonathanLauzon]

Very interesting video! I discovered a lot of great masterpieces to listen! Can’t ignore the fact that 1812 Overture wasn’t part of it though!

[@ljiljanastanic9076]

Powerful and spectacular!!!Excellent describes and comments!Thanks a lot...YEAH!!!

[@alexnorth60]

marvelous choices, for the most part. oddly, this is one time when accompanying comments were terrific, and often made me laugh.

[@treeskates]

I totally agree with you regarding the finale to Beethoven’s 9th.

[@rjr1967]

You've chosen excellent recordings too. Maybe Messaien's Turangalila would fit in somewhere? that is always epic. And as a special challenge: epic quiet endings (Mahler did a few...)

[@nicosuarez6962]

One of my favorite endings is in the Scriabin's Symphony in E Major played by Muti 🙃

[@Emilien-hy3sy]

absolutely, the 6th movement is great, the intense solos and the chorus make it transcendent !

[@jgesselberty]

Thank you. Very entertaining and love your commentary.

[@ikmarchini]

Great selections, great performances. Wow! (and I'm a conductor)

[@chikyushimin]

Bruckner is in my opinion the best symphonist of all times

[@davekeyes5589]

And the 8th is arguably the greatest of them all.

[@bilahn1198]

I think he's the worst.

[@jackgonzalez7727]

Bruckner? No, not at all.

[@brianwood699]

Back in the 90's, my brother and I were members of the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Boys choir and Men's Chorale for YEARS !!! Beethoven's 9th not only was difficult for a first tenor but I had to wear two t-shirts while performing so the sweat wouldn't show through my shirts and blazer. That's how strenuous certain pieces were to perform. Ahhhhh, the glory days. But changing the subject, my favorite piece to perform was Handel's Messiah at Christmas time in a Philly Cathedral.

[@adalke7520]

I think the ending of Wagner's cycle could be in this list, but I imagine you were avoiding Operas. I really enjoyed this video, thank you for making it!

[@stamoum]

Thank you so much for making this video! 😊

[@avidlistener8270]

Great fun! If you like strings, try out the ending of Bruckner's Symphony #4 'The Romantic'. Even more dramatic than #8 :-)

[@texasjudi4093]

I wasn't familiar with the Saint-Saens, but will have to listen to that one in its entirety. Anything with 4 bassoons in it has got to be my kind of music, but Mahler's 2nd is the one that still gives me goosebumps no matter how many times I hear it (not included here, but the contralto part is so heavenly). Great list and love your comments, Mr. Harvey. I'm so happy to see so many comments from fellow classical music nuts like me! I got it from my Dad, God rest his soul.

[@alanfoster6589]

If you enjoyed the Saint-Saens, listen to the Symphony Concertante for organ and orchestra by Joseph Jongen. The last movement in particular is killer.

[@ruthedwards7775]

another vote for Jongen's symphony, it's an amazing composition, especially, as Alan says, the final movement.

[@horsemeattball]

And the best finale is "The Great Gate of Kiev" from Pictures at an Exhibition. Boy, do we need that played now!!!!!

[@pavlelazarevic3270]

It was in original list

[@tastyteddy3874]

I did not know that first story and know im so glad that i do!

[@daniell_Carr]

There's a piece from Rued Langgaard called music of the spheres, I just love the ending of that... It is just like the end of all things... I think it deserves a place in a future video

[@evanvarns4785]

Hard to believe that Scriabin was live; imagine being surrounded by that.

[@iakovosarvanitis8812]

Bevibel Harvey ... perfect job !!! Chapeau Madame !!!

[@paullewis6213]

What brilliant selections and some new delights I’ve never heard before to dig more deeply into. Loved the captions as well - fascinating, insightful and amusing! Well done!

[@klarkz]

Thank you very much! Incredible selection of pieces with insightful comments to them.

[@handsafter]

There's no more epic and dramatic ending than Tristan and Isolda

[@jamesmalone1680]

Please keep this series going

[@chewanta]

If you'd like, I have a few suggestions that may impress.

[@fredfungalspore]

Beautiful Real Music...🤗

[@guiraremania]

I really enjoyed it! Nice Job! (Also, if you don't know them, you should listen the final of Psaume XXIV, by Lili Boulanger, and the final of the fourth movement of Symphonic Metamorphosis, by Paul Hindemith ;)

[@Emilien-hy3sy]

Scriabin is without equal, it is just otherworldly

[@MG-fh4ed]

"Epic" ? In terms of "epic" endings these examples are fantastic. You must add Wagner's "epic" endings! Take for example the endings of " The Twilight of the gods", " The Rhinegold" and "Siegfried".

[@powergaming3429]

Yesssss definitely

[@johannschneider6372]

Wagner is missing overall in those lists!

[@StefanGraz]

Scriabin. Music on steroids. Love it.

[@richardwilliams473]

Wow! That Shostakovich 7th Symphony ending is superb! Only a Russian Orchestra can do it !!!!

[@davekeyes5589]

The ending of the 11th is spine-tingling. If you have a music service, listen to every recording you can find. I promise you’ll find the one you like and, yes, it most likely to be one performed by a Russian orchestra.

[@itamarferreiradecarvalho487]

Adoro música clássica. Porque adoro. Calma, relaxante, boa para estudar, boa para dormir.

[@alexmaddisondrums]

really enjoyed this, just as much as the first, awesome compilation of the best part of classical music check out the end of le roi d'ys by lalo, its pretty badass. the london symphony version. the timp part is great. anyway, great video man

[@sponge917]

+Alex Maddison Thanks! Haven't heard that piece before, really cool!

[@VocalEdgeTV]

I’m naked in bed eating tacos and squalling like the kind of cry when you can’t breathe and with the snot and tears and all of that… After Scriabin‘s poem of ecstasy. My body also ceased to exist. Except I’m eating tacos. Also, I’m high. But seriously, Scriabin was on to something way beyond the veil.

[@ayyanali9683]

Mahler was like the God of epic music

[@dipsetdonkey7757]

Excellent video; brilliant commentary. Thank you uploader you have opened up a new world to me.

[@JohnWilliams-wg7rc]

Saw your first video and was going to recommend some Nielsen, either the 4th or 5th. I see you've gone for the 4th, which just about edges it.

[@lunabicornis6225]

The whole Shostakovich's 7th is quite an experience if you don't know it yet

[@henkbouwman8276]

Mahler is for me the absolute top of the top

[@alanfoster6589]

Kurt Atterberg, finale of the 3rd symphony. Charles Tournemeire, finale of the 6th symphony. Havergal Brian, 4th symphony. The conclusions of the 3rd movement and the Judex movement of Brian's Gothic symphony are overpowering and so different, but they're not the finale which is...quiet. Listen to the live recording from the 2011 Proms, conducted by Martyn Brabbins (I was there).

[@georgekelk9575]

The Shostakovich is clearly the best

[@wigwagstudios2474]

1:13 FUUUUUUUUUCK YEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@amazingessence2368]

Thank you very much for this compilation 🙏 Well, concerning Bruckner's 8th I wouldn't have chosen Karajan.. sounds more like an Imperial March, missing the mystical depth which is present even in this moment of triumph. Greetz from a german romantic :)

[@shin-i-chikozima]

In this program, all is far superior splendor This programer is a Alchemist of the originality