The Quietest Symphony Endings and Why They’re So Special
by Emily E. Hogstad Historically, symphony finales have been fast, loud, and showy. It’s easy to understand why: big, brash finales leave listeners with exciting last impressions. However, such finales are not, strictly speaking, necessary. Sometimes composers subvert expectations in favour of quieter, more introspective endings. Such endings are always striking. Today, we’re looking at seven symphonies with quiet finales and the contexts in which they all happen. (Image created by Chatgpt) Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 (1802-1808) Julius Schmid: Beethoven’s Walk in Nature Like many writers and composers of his time, Beethoven was deeply inspired by the natural world. In fact, he was so inspired that in 1802, he decided to write a programmatic symphony containing musical portrayals of natural phenomena like a babbling brook and a rumbling thunderstorm. To portray his vision, instead of the traditional four movements, this symphony has five. Acco...