Although Pendle's comment is certainly correct as a general characterization, the great bulk of the finale is in fact a trio—the chorus (both soldiers and villagers) enters only in the last minute or two for a few celebratory hurrahs. Before that, Max has the predominant role as he carries out the final deception that will bring Daniel and Bettly together. The musical style is a fluid combination of clearly defined themes and a declamatory patter that resembles recitative. (Note: The French edition labels the final number "Trio and Finale." As before, I am using the German edition of 1835 for my examples.)
The finale can easily be divided into four sections. In the first, Bettly insists that she and Daniel are married, while putting asides to Daniel that she is only trying to save him from a duel with Max. The three characters go back and forth until closing the section with an ensemble passage. At the beginning, Daniel is still very worried about the prospect of the duel (see below). The principal tune is carried in the orchestra; Daniel's melody sounds more like a descant against it; its double-neighbor figure about C5 is circled. An interesting feature is the symmetry in the registral frames (boxed): the orchestra's third above/sixth below is mirrored by Daniel's third below/sixth above.
In the second section, Max presses the point, saying they don't seem to act like husband and wife, and Bettly produces the incomplete marriage contract that villagers had sent Daniel earlier as a joke. The basic design is like section 1, with interaction between the characters and a closing ensemble passage (that is the same as in section 1). As the musical example shows, the tonal design in section 2 is initially unstable and modulatory, mirroring the heightened tension for Daniel and Bettly as Max pushes them.
The third section begins in the same circumstances (see below), but Max quickly announces that he has surreptiously signed the contract and reveals that he is Bettly's brother. Again the overall design is that of interactions followed by an ensemble passage.
For the fourth section, then, the chorus of soldiers and villagers enters for a final toast to the new couple.
In tomorrow's post, I will discuss the two rising cadences, the first in the ensemble passage of section three, the other in Max's contribution to the opening of section 4.
Source
Pendle, Karin. "The Transformation of a Libretto: Goethe's 'Jery und Bätely'." Music & Letters 55n1 (1974): 77-88.
