Finale Ultimo

Grand Finale or Ultimo Finale is the ending and occurs in two parts. The Finale is where the two most famous differences occurs; The death of Frollo by Quasimodo and the death of Esmeralda. Apparently the translator Michael Kunze campaigned to have Esmeralda die which makes it more like the book, though her death is by a different method. Kunze’s reasoning for this is that Esmeralda’s death would be viewed by European audiences as moving and more romantic of an ending. The Final starts with Frollo pronouncing Esmeralda’s sentence then it goes into “song” portion. I use  the word song in quotes because the Finale is a melody piece as it uses songs from throughout the show with one exception. So it starts pretty much the same as the movie with Sanctuary playing complete with latin lyrics as Esmerlada starts being burned and Quasimodo saves her and proclaiming sanctuary. Then Phoebus starts railing the people of Paris with the tune of Einmal (Once). Then the scene shifts back to Quasimodo who is defending Notre Dame from Frollo and his minions as he sings the tune of Wie aus Stein (Made of Stone). After he pours the led from Notre Dame Quasimodo checks in on Esmeralda who is dying. My guess is she dying of asphyxia which is a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen in body that arises from being unable to breathe normally. In her case this occurred from the fire. Anyway Quasimodo and Esmeralda have little conversation while Draußen (Outside) is played in the background. Esmeralda thanks Quasimodo for being her friend and then sings Hoch über der Welt (High above the World) and then the conversation continues for a  couple more lines and then she dies. After she dies Frollo comes in and sings about how he happy to be free of her to the tune of Esmeralda but he sings this in a creepy, off balanced way. Quasimodo gets mad and the song shifts to a new melody with gargoyle singing with the latin choir. The gargoyle basically sing that God strikes the wicked, so the gargoyles, or aspects of Quasimodo’s own mind are telling him that he should kill Frollo, which he does by throwing Frollo off of Notre Dame, like in the book. I will point out that Quasimodo in the book does this in a fit of rage and here it’s a little more pre-mediated. After this the gargoyles sing Zuflucht (Refuge) about how the world is both cruel and kind. Quasimodo then sings Draußen (Outside) and sings about how he must live out there with all the pain, sorrow and fear that world can bring. He the carries Esmeralda outside and is joined by Phoebus. The ensemble then sing Einmal with as Quasimodo disappears. Then Clopin in his narrator role sings Die Glocken Notre Dames (The Bells of Notre Dame) and it’s pretty akin to the reprise at the end of the of the movie.

Lyrics
FROLLO The prisoner Esmeralda has been found guilty of entering the city of Paris illegally, guilty of public insubordination and guilty of the crime of witchcraft. The sentence is death!

ARCHDEACON Let her go, Frollo! You know she has done nothing to deserve this.

FROLLO On the contrary, good sir. But I will give her this opportunity to recant in order to save herself.

ARCHDEACON Good. Speak, young woman. Tell him you mean no harm. Apologize for whatever it is you're accused of.

FROLLO Think of what I offered, Esmeralda. For justice... for Paris... and for her own salvation, it is my sacred duty to send this unholy demon back to her maker.

QUASIMODO Sanctuary! Sanctuary!

FROLLO Captain! Seize the cathedral.

SOLDIER But sir, the laws of Sanctuary -

FROLLO I negate the laws of sanctuary! Open these doors!

PHOEBUS Someday Our fight will be won then We'll stand in the sun then That bright afternoon Till then On days when the sun is gone Hope lives on Wish upon the moon

QUASIMODO Come all you saints of stone All you guardians and gargoyles Hurl down stones into the night Throw the ladders down and light These vats of lead Steaming, boiling streams of lead Burning lead, and let the Flames grow higher Oh saints and monsters, show your power Help me to send this raging shower Raining fire On the stones below We've done it, Esmeralda! Beaten them back! Esmeralda... Esmeralda...

ESMERALDA Thank you. Safe again at the top of the world Look Esmeralda, you're safe now I promise No one ever will hurt you again Safe at the top of the world You've been a good friend, Quasimodo.

QUASIMODO Esmeralda... Esmeralda... Esmeralda, wake up... wake up...

FROLLO Is she dead?

QUASIMODO Leave me alone!

FROLLO It was my duty, you know.

QUASIMODO Duty?

FROLLO Horrible as it was. Having to impose the law. It gave me no pleasure. You know that, Quasimodo. You know me better than anyone, don't you? At last we're free of Esmeralda Now that she's gone, her poison dies with her Now that we're done with Esmeralda We can go on, as close as once we were Here in our Sanctuary Sanctuary...

QUASIMODO No sanctuary! You said...

FROLLO What are you doing, Quasimodo? Let go of me, Quasimodo!

LONI Quasimodo!

ANTOINE "The wicked shall not go unpunish-ed"

CHARLES "The heart of the wicked is of little worth"

LONI "The wicked shall not go unpunish-ed"

FROLLO You don't want to hurt me!

ANTOINE Yes, you do.

QUASIMODO You are a good teacher, Master Frollo. A very good teacher!

LONI The world is cruel

ANTOINE The world is ugly

CHARLES But there are times And there are people When the world is not

GARGOYLES And at it's cruelest It is still the only world we've got Light and dark Foul and fair

QUASIMODO Out there... Out there Waiting there for me Love... and fear... and heartbreak Still we're born to be Out there...

CHORUS Someday Our fight will be won then We'll stand in the sun then That bright afternoon Till then On days when the sun is gone Hope lives on Wish upon the moon Change will come One day, someday soon

CLOPIN Morning in Paris, a new day is here Sing the bells of Notre Dame Ending the tale of your poor balladeer Sing the bells of Notre Dame And I wish I could leave you a moral Like a trinket you hold in your palm But... Here is a riddle to guess if you can Sing the bells of Notre Dame What makes a monster and What makes a man?

CHORUS Sing the bells, bells, bells, bells...

CLOPIN Whatever their pitch You can feel them bewitch you The rich and the ritual knells Of the -

ALL Bells of Notre Dame!