symphony
(ˈsɪmfənɪ)
Forms: 3–5 symphanye, 4 symfonye, 4–5 symphonye, 4–7 symphonie (4 syn-), 5–6 simphony(e, 5–7 simphonie, 6 simphoni, 5– symphony.
[a. OF. simphonie (from 12th c.), mod.F. symphonie = It., Sp. sinfonia, Pg. senfoni, ad. L. symphōnia sound of instruments, instrumental harmony, voices in concert, musical instrument (Dan. iii. 5, Luke xv. 25), a. Gr. συµϕωνία agreement or concord of sound, concert of vocal or instrumental music, ? musical instrument, f. σύµϕωνος harmonious, f. σύν sym- + ϕωνή sound.]
† 1. Used vaguely, after late L. symphōnia, as a name for different musical instruments. (See also symphan.) Obs.
| c 1290 St. Thomas 80 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 379 Tabours and fiþele and symphanye. c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. II. 73 Symphonye and croude weren herd whanne apostlis knewen alle wittis. 1382 ― Dan. iii. 7 Anoon as alle peplis harden the sown of trumpe, pype, and harpe, sambuke, and sautrie, synphonie, and al kynde of musikis. [So Coverdale, Douay, and 1611 (margin).] c 1386 Chaucer Sir Thopas 104 With harpe and pype and symphonye. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xix. cxxxvi. (1495) oo j b/2 The Symphonye is an Instrument of Musyk: and is made of an holowe tree closyd in lether in eyther syde And Mynstralles betyth it wyth styckes. 1426 Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 11620 To pleye on sondry Instrumentys, On harpe, lut, & on gyterne,..On rebube and on symphonye. 1567 J. Maplet Gr. Forest 42 Hereof [sc. elder] are made certain kinds of instruments and especially a kinde of Symphonie whiche the common sort call a Pipe: the learned and more ciuil kinde of men name it a Dulcimer. 1602 Marston Antonio's Rev. iv. v, The strings of natures symphony Are crackt. 1898 Stainer & Barrett Dict. Mus. Terms s.v., (4) In the seventeenth century the virginal was sometimes spoken of as a symphony. (5) A bagpipe has also been called a symphony, perhaps a corruption of the word sampogna. |
2. Harmony of sound,
esp. of musical sounds; concord, consonance. Also
occas. of speech-sounds, as in verse. Now
rare or
Obs.| c 1440 J. Capgrave Life St. Kath. i. 385 Armonye is in voyse, in smytyng or wynde, Symphonye & euphonye arn of hys kynde. c 1480 Henryson Orpheus & Eurydice 114 Fyve hevynly symphonyis... First dyatesseron,.. And dyapason, symple and duplycate, And dyapente, componyt with a dys. 1589 Puttenham Engl. Poesie i. ii. (Arb.) 22 By reason of our rime and tunable concords or simphonie. Ibid. iii. xvi. 185 A rime of good simphonie should not conclude his concords with one and the same terminant sillable,..but with diuers and like terminants. 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 228 The harmonie of musicke..hath symphony by antiphony (that is to say) the accord ariseth from discord. 1660 Waterhouse Arms & Arm. 25 As in Consorts notes answer each other to a Symphony, so in Armory there must be regularity. 1797 Mrs. Radcliffe Italian i, She touched her lute in sweet symphony. 1837 Disraeli Venetia iv. ii, Stanzas glittering with refined images, and resonant with subtle symphony. 1856 J. Williams Gram. Edeyrn §1787 The resumption of letters and symphony takes place when the verses harmonise together at the beginning; as..Pum heryr..Pum haerwy. |
3. Harmony (in general), agreement, accord, concord, congruity. Now
rare or
Obs.| 1598 Stow Surv. 462 To conclude therefore the estate of London for gouernment is so agreeable a Symphony with the rest, that there is no feare of dangerous discord to ensue thereby. 1647 Jer. Taylor Lib. Proph. iii. 61 The Jewes pretend that the Christians have corrupted many places, on purpose to make symphony between both the Testaments. 1691 Norris Pract. Disc. 327 To disturb the moral Harmony of the Universe, to hinder the symphony and agreement of the Two Worlds. 1752 Hume Ess. & Treat. (1777) II. 324 He must move some universal principle..and touch a string, to which all mankind have an accord and symphony. 1858 Carlyle Fredk. Gt. x. ii. (1872) III. 224 Their domestic symphony was liable to furious flaws. |
4. a. (
transf. from 2.) Music in parts, sung or played by a number of performers with pleasing effect; concerted or harmonious music; a performance or strain of such music. Chiefly
poet. or
rhet.| 1599 T. Storer Life & Death Wolsey K 3, Sweete songs of many parts, Angells the quire, whose Symphonie to heare, Is able to prouoke conceiuing harts, To misconceiue of al inticing Arts. 1629 Milton Hymn Nativ. xiii, Ring out ye Crystall sphears,..And with your ninefold harmony Make up full consort to th' Angelike symphony. 1667 ― P.L. v. 162 Ye Sons of light, Angels,..with songs And choral symphonies, Day without Night, Circle his Throne rejoycing. 1700 Dryden Flower & Leaf 210 From afar I heard a suddain Symphony of War. 1797 Mrs. Radcliffe Italian vi, Her sorrow did not allow her to join in the choral symphonies of the nuns. 1814 Scott Ld. of Isles i. i, Ne'er to symphony more sweet Gave mountain echoes answer meet. 1845 Disraeli Sybil iv. vi, Suddenly the organ burst forth, a celestial symphony floated in the lofty roof. |
b. fig. A collection of utterances, or sounds of any kind, likened to concerted music; a ‘chorus’ (of praise, etc.).
| 1654 Whitlock Zootomia 456, I have seldome heard in any Discourse of but foure, or five Parts..a Symphony of Commendations of an absent man,..without some one..striking a F Fa ut—But of Diminution. 1713 Guardian No. 29. ¶26 We now and then discharge our selves in a Symphony of Laughter. 1728–46 Thomson Spring 579 While I deduce, From the first note the hollow cuckoo sings, The symphony of Spring. 1849 Longfellow Seaside & Fireside Ded. x, The grand, majestic symphonies of ocean. 1862 Goulburn Pers. Relig. ii. x. (1873) 139 Praying and giving thanks..will constitute..a beautiful symphony in the ears of the Most High. |
c. Applied to a collection or composition of various colours which harmonize, with pleasing or brilliant effect.
| 1874 R. Tyrwhitt Sketch. Club 257 Symphonies of colour, like Whistler's. 1885 Harper's Mag. Mar. 524/1 The mantel is exquisite, a symphony in white and gold. 1895 R. W. Chambers King Yellow, Str. Lady of Fields iv, Neat girls..bearing milliners' boxes, students with black portfolios and high hats,..quick-stepping officers, symphonies in turquoise and silver. |
5. Mus. a. A passage for instruments alone (or, by extension, for a single instrument) occurring in a vocal composition as an introduction, interlude, or close to an accompaniment (partly
= ritornello); also, a short instrumental movement occurring between vocal movements, as the ‘Pastoral Symphony’ in Handel's ‘Messiah’; also formerly applied to a more extended instrumental piece, often in several movements, forming the overture to an opera or other vocal work of large dimensions (
cf. next sense).
| 1661 Pepys Diary 19 May, Captaine Cooke, Mr. Gibbons, and others of the King's musicians were come to present my Lord with some songs and symphonys, which were performed very finely. 1662 Ibid. 14 Sept., Having vialls and other instruments to play a symphony between every verse of the anthem. 1667 Milton P.L. iii. 368 Thir gold'n Harps they took,..and with Præamble sweet Of charming symphonie they introduce Thir sacred Song. 1763 J. Brown Poetry & Mus. xii. 207 Whoever is inclined to hear a Succession of Symphonies and Songs, set off with..all the Refinement of Execution that can Inchant the Ear, let him attend the Opera. 1778 F. Burney Evelina xxi. (1784) 159 During the symphony of a song..young Mr. Braughton said, ‘Its my belief that that fellow is going to sing another song.’ 1810 Scott Lady of L. i. xxx, She sung, and still a harp unseen Fill'd up the symphony between. 1836 Dickens Sk. Boz, Streets-Night, Smuggins, after a considerable quantity of coughing by way of symphony,..sings a comic song. |
b. An elaborate orchestral composition in three or more movements, originally developed from the operative overture (see
prec. sense), similar in form to a sonata, but usually of grander dimensions and broader style.
| 1789 Burney Hist. Mus. IV. vi. 482 His [sc. J. C. Bach's] symphonies, quartets, and concertos for almost every species of instrument. 1830 Examiner 148/2 Beethoven's symphony led off. 1866 Engel Nat. Mus. v. 179 A composition for a number of different instruments in combination,—as, for instance, a Symphony or any other orchestral work. 1880 Grove Dict. Mus. I. 352 Choral Symphony, the ordinary English title for Beethoven's 9th Symphony,..the Finale of which is a chain of variations for solos and chorus. Ibid. II. 671 Pastoral Symphony, The. ‘Sinfonia Pastorale, No. 6’, is the title of the published score of Beethoven's 6th Symphony. 1889 C. H. H. Parry ibid. IV. 15 Emmanuel Bach..began writing symphonies in 1741, when Haydn was only nine years old. Ibid. 799 Toy Symphony (Ger. Kindersinfonie..), the English name by which a certain work of Haydn's is known... The toy instruments employed are a ‘cuckoo’ .., a trumpet and drum.., a whistle, a triangle, and a ‘quail’... Andreas Romberg wrote a symphony for much the same instruments... Mr. Franklin Taylor has written one for piano and toys. |
† c. Singing by the whole of a choir or congregation together.
Obs.| 1776 Hawkins Hist. Mus. I. iii. iv. 289 The second and third [methods of singing psalms] were..distinguished by the names of symphony and antiphony. |
d. ellipt. for ‘symphony orchestra’.
| 1926 Whiteman & McBride Jazz xiv. 287 The unknown composer has to pay to get his compositions played by a good symphony. 1934 S. R. Nelson All about Jazz v. 87 Symphony work, although of the highest ton, is not very lucrative, and most players have additional sources of income. 1968 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 17 Feb. 23/4 The former manager of the Vancouver Symphony. 1977 Times 23 Apr. 11/3 The seven arias skimpily supported by the Barcelona Symphony. |
6. attrib. and
Comb., as (sense 5 b)
symphony concert,
symphony form,
symphony orchestra.
| 1863 Dwight's Jrnl. Mus. XXIII. 110/3 Our concern now is with the concerts... To begin with the most important, those of the Orchestra, the so-called ‘Philharmonic’, or Symphony concerts. 1919 Daily Mail Year Bk. 200/1 Conductor of the Promenade Concerts since 1895, the Queen's Hall Symphony Concerts. 1956 A. H. Compton Atomic Quest ii. 68 On one occasion, Mrs. Edward Ryerson saw me as I was seeking a little relaxation at a symphony concert. |
| 1911 Contemp. Rev. May 615 The idea that the symphonic poem is a further development of the symphony form. |
| 1881 in Grove Dict. Mus. (1884) IV. 43/1 Orchestra to be permanent, and to be called The Boston Symphony Orchestra. 1932 Daily Tel. 8 Oct. 1/6 London Symphony Orchestra. 1978 Ann. Reg. 1977 404 Their success went a good way towards discounting the much-publicized theory that the conventional symphony orchestra now exists only for the purpose of playing music from the past. |