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Symphony, a lengthy form of musical composition for orchestra, normally consisting of several large sections, or movements, at least one of which usually employs sonata form (also called first-movement form). Symphonies began to be composed during the Classical period in European music history, about 1740–1820.
Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning common today: a work usually consisting of multiple distinct sections or movements, often four, with the first movement in sonata form.
A century later, Gustav Mahler wrote symphonies for instruments and vocals, including Symphony No. 8, nicknamed Symphony of a Thousand, written for orchestra, vocal quartet, two adult choirs, a children's choir, a percussion section, a piano, an organ, and a harmonium!
Feb 20, 2024 · How did symphonies evolve? By the late 18th century, a symphony had multiple distinct movements, with the first always in sonata form. Classical symphonies had a certain set of rules, but rules are made to be broken – and so, that’s exactly what the Classical era’s most famous composer did.
- Maddy Shaw Roberts
Symphony - Classical, Orchestral, Structure: Chord-generated melodies (those arising from arpeggiated triads, or three-note chords) abound in 18th-century symphonies, among which a number of stereotyped “theme families” can be distinguished. These furnished raw material for further development.
The first figure defies the odds, makes a courageous stand and is remembered throughout history. But when it comes to classical music, the symphony gets no such story. Its origins are nebulous; the product of generations of tinkering and advancement on the musical forms that came before it.
Symphonic composition during the mature Classical period (roughly the late 18th to the early 19th century) was overwhelmingly dominated by Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven.
