sinfonias

Sinfonia (plural sinfonias) is a term from Italian meaning “sounding together” and historically used to designate an instrumental musical form in the Baroque and early Classical periods. In Italian usage, sinfonia referred to orchestral music that could function as an overture, interlude, or standalone instrumental piece. During the 17th and early 18th centuries, sinfonias were commonly used as preludes or introductions to operas, oratorios, and cantatas, typically featuring an opening section that leads into contrasting material, with the exact structure varying by composer and context. The term was often part of the piece’s title or used descriptively, rather than signaling a fixed formal scheme.

As the symphony evolved in the mid-18th century, composers in Italy, Austria, and Germany began writing longer, multi-movement works that adopted the name symphonia or sinfonia in some contexts. The works of Giovanni Battista Sammartini and other Italian composers contributed to the development of the symphony, with many sinfonias later regarded as early examples of the Classical symphony. In Bach’s and Handel’s sacred and secular contexts, the word sinfonia was used for instrumental introductions to vocal works, as well as for standalone instrumental pieces.

In modern usage, the term sinfonia is largely historical or stylistic, appearing in scholarship about Baroque and early Classical music and in titles of period editions or recordings. It is distinct from the later symphony and from the related sinfonia concertante form, which blends soloistic and ensemble elements. See also: symphony, overture, sinfonia concertante.