“A symphony is no joke.” Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
And he’s not wrong! A symphony is a large-scale, mostly multi-movement cyclical form, that is mainly composed for a large instrumental ensemble, a Symphony Orchestra. The symphony is without a doubt one of the highest forms of instrumental music, and can be found among the works of the greatest composers from the 18th century onwards. Browse our sheet music and scores, and explore all the wonderful symphonies on offer today!
The word symphony is derived from the Greek expression “sym-fónós”, the harmony of several tones at the same time. The father of the symphony is without a doubt Joseph Haydn, who composed a total of 104 symphonies. Mozart then took up the baton, and Beethoven added more and more instruments to enrich the texture. In the classical period, a symphony is usually a four-movement work that uses sonata form in the outer movements. The middle movements are usually made up of a slow movement and a dance movement, a minuet or scherzo.
Over time, new elements began to be introduced to the symphony. The first major development came with Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. With the Ode to Joy Beethoven introduces the choir and soloists to the symphony for the first time. In the romantic period, the formal structure of the symphony gradually loosens, the number of movements changes, and the instrumentation is expanded. One of the high points in the development of the symphony, as it moves into the classical modern period, is the large and complex symphonic works of Gustav Mahler, whose symphonies can include several hundred players and singers.
In contemporary music of the 20th and 21st centuries, various drum and electronic instrument ensembles began to appear in the symphony, such as in the works of Philip Glass. In principle, there are no set rules for modern symphonies, and it is up to the composer which approach to composition he chooses to employ.
for: GCH (SSAATTBB) HA
Choir score
Item no.: 582591
Edition Vieweg (Musikschätze vergangener Zeiten)
for: OB (FL) HRN STR (+ CEMB)
Set of parts
Item no.: 372071
for: Harfe
Single part Harp
Item no.: 582592
Choral Singing – The Easy Way to Learn. Progress through Private Practice
Choral Part Tenor
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Playback-CD (choir part tenor)
Item no.: 138380
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra [piano]
Playback-CD (choir part tenor)
Item no.: 660375
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra [piano]
Playback-CD (Chorstimme Alt)
Item no.: 660377
Symphony cantata
Practice-CD for choir singers
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SSAATB), orchestra, organ
Playback-CD (Chorstimme Bass)
Item no.: 697315
for: Symphonic orchestra
Harmony parts (complete winds)
Item no.: 768300
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 1355963
Book
Item no.: 154325
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