The Collaborative International Dictionary
Symphony \Sym"pho*ny\, n.; pl. Symphonies. [F. symphonie (cf. It. sinfonia), L. symphonia, Gr. ?; sy`n with + ? a sound, the voice. See Phonetic.]
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A consonance or harmony of sounds, agreeable to the ear, whether the sounds are vocal or instrumental, or both.
The trumpets sound, And warlike symphony in heard around.
--Dryden. -
A stringed instrument formerly in use, somewhat resembling the virginal.
With harp and pipe and symphony.
--Chaucer. -
(Mus.)
An elaborate instrumental composition for a full orchestra, consisting usually, like the sonata, of three or four contrasted yet inwardly related movements, as the allegro, the adagio, the minuet and trio, or scherzo, and the finale in quick time. The term has recently been applied to large orchestral works in freer form, with arguments or programmes to explain their meaning, such as the ``symphonic poems'' of Liszt. The term was formerly applied to any composition for an orchestra, as overtures, etc., and still earlier, to certain compositions partly vocal, partly instrumental.
An instrumental passage at the beginning or end, or in the course of, a vocal composition; a prelude, interlude, or postude; a ritornello.
Wiktionary
n. (plural of symphony English)
Wikipedia
"Symphonies" is a song by British wonky pop musician Dan Black, released as the first single from his 2009 debut album UN.
Evolving from his previous single "HYPNTZ", the track was written, composed, and produced by Black himself. It is an alternative dance track that features prominent use of sampling from other artists such as the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Rihanna.
The track was released as the U.S. iTunes "Single of the Week" for the week of December 28, 2009, and the video was released on iTunes for free for the week of March 15, 2010. A remix of the song was recorded with Kid Cudi, and was released as a bonus track in the United States.
The track has also been used in the "A More Exciting Place to Live" ad campaign by Virgin Media in the UK. It was also used in 2010 comedy film Easy A and used on the NBA 2K11 soundtrack.
Symphonies is the second EP by American rock band In Fear and Faith. It consists of symphonic orchestral renditions of some of the group's best known songs with a guest vocalist included on nearly every track. It was released on May 3, 2011 through Rise Records.
Anton Bruckner composed eleven symphonies, the first, his F minor study symphony in 1863, the last, his unfinished ninth symphony from 1893–1896.
Usage examples of "symphonies".
He was a composer who wrote old-fashioned scores for motion pictures, and modern symphonies for sparse audiences.
You don't break into grocery stores after dark and you don't pick your fellow's pockets to buy classical symphonies or fishing tackle, but if it's to get stinking drunk and forget—you do.
That shining vision which they talk about as belonging to the authors of symphonies and novels—what do they think is the driving faculty of men who discover how to use oil, how to run a mine, how to build an electric motor?
The cello — or cello “section,” as they called it for symphonies — was always controlled by a musician at a synthesizer keyboard, as were the violin and viola “sections.
The symphonies had seemed real enough to him, but he was not about to risk an argument with Mim.
Bram had not seen him in recent years, but he had gathered that Tha-tha’s touch symphonies had marked him as one of those prodigies who come along only once in a Nar generation.
It could not compare with the touch symphonies that so entranced Tha-tha and kept him stretched out on the star-shaped body reader for hours—and that he had tried without success to explain to Bram.
He was obsessed by the six old symphonies that had been transmitted in score in the Message of Original Man and had applied himself to the task of recreating a live symphonic texture.
More than nine hundred compositions by someone named Schubert—songs, symphonies, quartets!