Symphony
A large multi-movement work for orchestra — not an oversized sonata
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A symphony is a multi-movement work for orchestra, usually in four movements: fast, slow, dance or scherzo, fast. It took shape in the Classical era with Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven; strings form the core, with woodwinds, brass and percussion added in layers.
The four movements set character and key against each other: the first builds conflict in sonata form, the slow movement turns lyrical, the third keeps a dance beat, the finale closes the arc. After 1800 the scale grew: Beethoven's Ninth adds a choir, Sibelius's Seventh compresses four movements into one. Listen first for tempo and key relationships between movements.
A common misconception takes the symphony for an oversized sonata, or assumes it needs four movements. Single-movement and five-movement symphonies exist; the genre is defined by writing for the orchestra as a whole, not by movement count.
Sources
- 交响曲的体裁形成、四乐章规范与十九世纪扩张，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Symphony"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.