Definition
The symphony is the large multi-movement composition for orchestra that dominates instrumental music from the second half of the eighteenth century to the twentieth. The name comes from the Italian sinfonia avanti l'opera (the three-part fast–slow–fast overture of Alessandro Scarlatti), which in Milan, Mannheim and Vienna detached itself from opera and became a concert genre (Sammartini, Stamitz). Haydn (about 104 symphonies) and Mozart (41 numbered) established the four-movement model; Beethoven (9) expanded it, and the nineteenth and twentieth centuries transformed it.
The Classical four-movement model
| Movement | Tempo | Typical form | Key | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Allegro (often with slow introduction) | sonata form | tonic | the most “argued” movement |
| II | Andante / Adagio | ternary, theme and variations, sonata without development, slow rondo | closely related key (IV, V, relative; in a minor key often III or VI) | cantabile, lyrical |
| III | Minuet and trio (later Scherzo and trio) | ternary: A (rounded binary) – trio – A da capo | tonic | dance, light contrast |
| IV | Allegro / Presto | rondo, sonata-rondo, sonata form | tonic | brilliant, conclusive |
Examples to know
- Haydn, Symphony No. 94 “Surprise” (1791): the Andante in theme and variations with the unexpected fortissimo chord.
- Mozart, Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550 (1788): I sonata, II Andante in Eb (VI), III Minuet in G minor, IV Allegro assai in sonata form.
- Mozart, Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter,” K. 551: finale in sonata form with a fugato and the coda in five-voice counterpoint.
- Beethoven, Symphony No. 5, Op. 67 (1808): Scherzo that flows without a pause into the finale in C major; return of the Scherzo inside the finale: cyclic unity.
- Beethoven, Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral”: five movements with descriptive titles.
- Beethoven, Symphony No. 9, Op. 125 (1824): Scherzo in second place, Adagio third, finale with soloists, chorus and the “Ode to Joy” theme in variations.
The transformations of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
- Program symphony: Berlioz, Symphonie fantastique (1830), five movements and an idée fixe that returns transformed in every movement.
- Cyclic form: themes that return across different movements (Franck, Symphony in D minor; Tchaikovsky, Fifth).
- Expansion: Bruckner (very long movements, thematic blocks, crescendos in waves), Mahler (from 4 to 6 movements, solo voices and choirs, quotations of lieder and folk music).
- Concentration: Sibelius, Symphony No. 7 (1924) in a single movement.
- 20th century: Prokofiev (“Classical” Symphony, 1917, a homage to Haydn), Shostakovich (15 symphonies), Stravinsky (Symphony in Three Movements), then the minimalist and post-minimalist symphony (Philip Glass, John Adams).
Typical instrumentation
- Classical (mature Haydn/Mozart): 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (not always), 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings.
- Beethoven: in some cases adds piccolo, contrabassoon, trombones (Fifth, Ninth), a third and fourth horn (Third, Ninth).
- Late Romantic: woodwinds in 3s or 4s, 4–8 horns, 3–4 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion, harps.
How to listen to a symphony
- For each movement, note the tempo, meter, key and expected form.
- In the first movement, identify the introduction, first and second themes, development, recapitulation, coda.
- In the second, look for the form (ternary? variations?).
- In the third, identify the minuet/scherzo and trio.
- In the finale, look for the rondo refrain or the sections of the sonata.
- Look for cyclic links between the movements.
For a producer: the album as a symphony
The fast–slow–dance–finale arc is a model for the tracklist of an EP or a DJ set: an energetic, “argued” opening, a slow and melodic track, a lighter rhythmic piece, a finale with maximum energy, perhaps with a motif that returns (like Berlioz's idée fixe).
Related
Sonata form, Sonata form with slow introduction, Minuet and trio, Scherzo, Theme and variations, Sonata-rondo, Analysis of an orchestral score.