Listening to WGUC
each day, you may notice the ample amount of symphonies played. You may also
notice the extensive variety among the various symphonies, many differing from
one another based on the time period during which they were composed. This
month, let’s explore the history of the symphony, mapping out a timeline that
will show just how the symphony developed throughout history.
The symphony is a
large orchestral work that developed in the mid-eighteenth century. Divided
into a specified number of movements, we will soon see that the standard number
of movements changed over time. The early symphony was thought to have its
roots in the Italian opera overture (known as sinfonia), which typically used a
three-movement format:
Movement 1: Fast
tempo
Movement 2: Slow
tempo
Movement 3: Fast
tempo
The symphony also
was thought to resemble a classical sonata, only written for an entire
orchestra rather than a solo instrument with possible accompaniment.
Looking at a
musical score, I find that often it’s easy to mistake a string quartet for an
early classical symphony. Why? Most early symphonies were scored for four-part
strings, just like a string quartet. It wasn’t until a bit later that various
wind instruments began to enter the orchestral scene.
Join me next time
as I explore one of the earliest symphonic composers, Giovanni Battista
Sammartini.
