Sym’phony

(Ger. Symphonic’, Sinont’ s te sinfoni'a; Fe symphonies from the Gk. symphoni’a, ‘‘ cons a. nance”, i. e. consonant interval.) r, A form of instrumental composition de» veloped from the Overture (g. v.), the 3 divisions of which latter were separated towards the middle of the 18th century, by composers writing purely orchestral pieces, into 3 distinct moves ments; the 4th (the Minuet) being introduced by Haydn, who thus consummated the modern 4-movement form. This form is identical with that of the Sonata (comp. Form), For the Minuet, Beethoven substituted the Scherzo, which since then has been the-syetcal form of the 3rd movement. Haydn p also transferred the ‘‘ first-movement” form of the sonata to the symphony, and utilized the individual timbres of the various instr.s for contrasts in orchestration; the perfection of instrumental individualization is the work of Mozart and Beethoven, and the latter enlarged the symphfny-orchestra to its modern status (comp. Orchestra). The usual plan of the symphony is now I (Allegre in first-movement form, often ee troductory division ); II (Adagio); II (Scherze); IV (Allegro or Presto).—Its latest development is the Symphonic Poem.—2. Same as Ritornello 1.—3. A medieval name for several instr.s, as the Hurdy-gurdy, Bagpipe, etc. Syn‘copate. To efface or shift the accent of a tone or chord falling on a naturally strong beat, by tying it over from the preceding weak beat; a tone or chord so robbed of its accent is termed syncopated,