Symphonies

A symphony is a large-scale orchestral work, typically in several movements, that became the central form of serious orchestral music from the mid-18th century. Its development drew on earlier instrumental sinfonias and the refined Mannheim School; Haydn helped codify the four-movement design, and Mozart popularized the form. Beethoven expanded its scope and emotional range, establishing conventions that shaped later Romantic and modern symphonies.

Traditionally a four-movement sequence follows a fast opening movement in sonata form, a slower second movement, a minuet or scherzo third movement, and a fast finale. The first movement often features exposition, development, and recapitulation. The second movement is lyrical and contemplative; the third provides contrast through dance-derived form, later commonly a scherzo; the finale tends to be energetic and conclusive. Many symphonies diverge from this template, using different tempos, keys, or extra movements.

Orchestration is central to the symphony, typically including strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion, with expanding size and color in later periods. Some works add chorus or soloists, as in Beethoven’s Ninth or Mahler’s symphonies. The repertory spans from Haydn’s early examples and Mozart’s late works to Beethoven’s revolutionary symphonies and the expansive scores of Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, and Shostakovich.

In the modern era, composers have varied the form and scale, exploring one- or multi-movement designs and expanded orchestration. Nevertheless, the symphony remains a core vehicle for large-scale musical architecture and expression, continuing to link classical traditions with contemporary experimentation in concert repertoires.