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The closing movement of a work; in opera, the extended ensemble that ends an act.
Printed as the heading of a last movement, alone or with a tempo word (Finale. Allegro molto), and in opera scores over the ensemble that closes an act. It covers that movement or scene.
A finale has to close the whole work, so it often brings the fastest tempo, the most direct rhythms, a rondo or sonata-rondo design, or a summing-up of earlier ideas; the Eroica’s finale is a set of variations. In opera, the act finale gathers the characters into an extended ensemble that gathers speed toward the curtain.
Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55 (“Eroica”), fourth movement, flute, m. 1: “Finale” with “Allegro molto”.
Finale is one of 1755 terms in the Gradus musical dictionary: the words, abbreviations and instrument names that appear in printed scores, plus the vocabulary composers use to talk about them.
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