coda
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A concluding passage that brings a piece or movement to an end.
The coda is a closing section that provides a definitive ending to a piece or movement. Marked with a special symbol resembling a circle with a cross, it signals that the music has moved beyond the main formal structure into its concluding passage.
In some works, the coda is a brief flourish — just a few bars to wrap things up. In others, it becomes a substantial section in its own right. Beethoven was famous for writing extended codas that introduced new material and dramatic developments, turning the ending into a second climax rather than a simple conclusion.
The coda of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is longer than the entire exposition — he essentially wrote a second finale inside the finale.