Definition of Symphony

Symphony

A consonance or harmony of sounds, agreeable to the ear, whether the sounds are vocal or instrumental, or both.

A stringed instrument formerly in use, somewhat resembling the virginal.

An elaborate instrumental composition for a full orchestra, consisting usually, like the sonata, of three or four contrasted yet inwardly related movements, as the allegro, the adagio, the minuet and trio, or scherzo, and the finale in quick time. The term has recently been applied to large orchestral works in freer form, with arguments or programmes to explain their meaning, such as the "symphonic poems" of Liszt. The term was formerly applied to any composition for an orchestra, as overtures, etc., and still earlier, to certain compositions partly vocal, partly instrumental.

An instrumental passage at the beginning or end, or in the course of, a vocal composition; a prelude, interlude, or postude; a ritornello.

Related Definitions:

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Symphony Quotations

A symphony must be like the world. It must contain everything.
Gustav Mahler

Everything will pass, and the world will perish but the Ninth Symphony will remain.
Mikhail Bakunin

We did experiments with the Boston Symphony for many years where we measured the angles of incidence of sound arriving at the ears of the audience, then took the measurements back to MIT and analyzed them.
Amar Bose

Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is the most sublime noise that has ever penetrated into the ear of man.
E. M. Forster

To have everything written for you... It's not really creating. That's why I think symphony drummers are so limited. They 're limited to exactly what was played a hundred years before them by a thousand other drummers.
Buddy Rich

If he's a true symphony artist, he knows better than that because he knows that the only truly creative musician is the jazz musician.
Buddy Rich

When the bright angel dominates, out comes a great work of art, a Michelangelo David or a Beethoven symphony.
Madeleine L'Engle

You can't play a symphony alone, it takes an orchestra to play it.
Navjot Singh Sidhu

If a professional musician in a symphony orchestra is playing Beethoven. But this particular orchestra have played this particular chestnut so many times, they can play it in their sleep. Does the genius remain present in the music or not?
Robert Fripp

And over the last ten years, after my work with the Brodsky Quartet, I had the opportunity to write arrangements for chamber group, chamber orchestra, jazz orchestra, symphony orchestra even.
Elvis Costello

I don't see myself necessarily having a burning desire to write a symphony.
Danny Elfman

For hundreds of years people have talked about artists having inspiration, but often, some persons would say, write us a symphony or write us a song, on commission. The artists would come up with a masterpiece without waiting to have their muse inspire them.
Tom Glazer

God comes to us in theater in the way we communicate with each other, whether it be a symphony orchestra, or a wonderful ballet, or a beautiful painting, or a play. It's a way of expressing our humanity.
Julie Harris

But a large symphony orchestra basically is a repertory company and it has a very enormous repertoire and it is important for the performers to be able to know how to shift focus so that they instantly become part of the sound world that a particular repertoire demands.
Michael Tilson Thomas

It is still true that it is easier to compose a poem in the form of a manual for adjusting a VCR than it is to write a piece using just tuning as a symphony.
Brian Ferneyhough

While our country has made great strides in breaking down the barriers which for so long denied equal opportunity to all Americans, we are not yet the beautiful symphony of brotherhood of Dr. King's dream.
Adam Schiff

When we're at the end of The Rite of Spring or of a Bruckner symphony, I want people to feel the music physically.
Esa-Pekka Salonen

In South America, I heard the 8th Symphony of Beethoven. And the young conductor thought, Beethoven must be heroic. But this is piece which shouldn't be heroic. And this was such a misunderstanding, such a deep misunderstanding.
Kurt Masur

But some people will say you just did these programs. Well, yes, the programs are important and I'm proud of the programs, but mostly I'm proud of the way the San Francisco Symphony plays these programs.
Michael Tilson Thomas

I've worked with actors before where I was like, this is not working, and then I've seen their work on the screen and I've been like, Wow, that was a really great performance. Because there are a lot of elements with film. It's not like stage. It's not a kind of performance art anymore; it's a highly tuned kind of collaboration - a symphony.
Vincent Kartheiser

And at the same time, I had my very first concert at the age of 16. I hadn't heard a symphony orchestra before, and I was so deeply impressed I said I have to be a conductor.
Kurt Masur

The Chicago Symphony is considered the greatest orchestra in the world.
Jane Byrne

The Russian composers, especially, tricked the symphony orchestra into the kind of dynamic, rhythmic thing.
Gerry Mulligan

The first reason for starting to do the symphony concerts was to play this new piece of mine.
Gerry Mulligan

I've been playing music all my life, from being a choir soloist at Symphony Hall as a youngster to playing in bands through high school and college at Kent State. Went in the service at 17, out before I was 21.
Arthur Godfrey

I think there's a poet who wrote once a tragedy by Shakespeare, a symphony by Beethoven and a thunderstorm are based on the same elements. I think that's a beautiful line.
Maximilian Schell

My mother was the concert master of the symphony. Absurdity and eccentricity were not criticized.
Martin Short

Mozart has written opera, symphony, sacred and chamber music - not to mention his piano and violin concerti.
Neville Marriner

I learned from my uncle that jazz, like symphony music, was built to last.
David Amram

It was really amazing. I mean, he'd never mentioned that he played in the symphony, like serious violin playing, not fiddle playing. And he just blew us away.
Guy Clark

More Symphony Quotations

Symphony Translations

symphony in Afrikaans is simfonie
symphony in Dutch is symfonie
symphony in Finnish is sinfonia
symphony in French is symphonie
symphony in German is Sinfonie
symphony in Italian is sinfonia
symphony in Swedish is symfoni

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