Symphony

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. Ibid. (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.  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.  Capgrave, Life St. Kath., I. 385.

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.

1666.  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.  (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. Ibid. (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.  R. Whitlock, Ζωοτομια, 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.  Longf., 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 colors that harmonize, with pleasing or brilliant effect.

1874.  R. Tyrwhitt, Sketch. Club, 257. Symphonies of colour, like Whistler’s.

1885.  Harper’s Mag., March, 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 without hats, bearing milliners’ boxes; students with black portfolios and high hats; students with bérets and big canes; nervous, quick-stepping officers, symphonies in turquoise and silver; [etc.].

  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. Ibid. (1662), 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.  Miss 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 operatic 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.