What is Symphony?
[[File:Singapore Symphony Orchestra - Concert in Park.jpg|thumb|322x322px|Singapore Symphony Orchestra - Classics in the Park at Singapore Botanic Garden]] A '''symphony''' is a piece of [[music]] written for an [[orchestra]] to play. It may be quite a long piece. Usually it is divided into parts, usually 3 or 4 parts, which are called [[movement (music)|movements]]. The first movement of a symphony can be a fast movement, often in [[sonata form]]. The second movement can be a slow movement. The third movement can be a [[minuet]] or [[scherzo]] and a trio. The fourth movement may be called “Finale”; it can be in [[Rondo]] form or [[sonata form]] or a combination of these. There are lots of different ways of writing a symphony, but this is the pattern that was used by [[Joseph Haydn]] who is known as the “Father of the Symphony”, and many composers since have used his pattern of movements for their symphonies and the sound they create. == Connotations == The word “symphony” comes from the Greek words “sym” (together) and “phone” (sound). “Symphonic” means “like a symphony”. It is often used to describe music which is quite long and develops tunes over a long period. A large orchestra is often called a “symphony orchestra”. This is to distinguish it from a small orchestra called a “chamber orchestra”. Some of the most famous composers of symphonies are [[Joseph Haydn]], [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]], [[Ludwig van Beethoven]], [[Franz Schubert]], [[Felix Mendelssohn]], [[Robert Schumann]], [[Anton Bruckner]], [[Johannes Brahms]], [[Pyotr Tchaikovsky]], [[Gustav Mahler]], [[Jean Sibelius]] and [[Dmitri Shostakovich]]. == Related pages == *[[Symphonic poem]] [[Category:Musical forms]]