What is a symphony of action. Musical genres: Symphony. We listen to and understand the symphony

Among the numerous musical genres and forms, one of the most honorable places belongs to the symphony. Having emerged as an entertainment genre, from the beginning of the 19th century to the present day, it most sensitively and fully, like no other form of musical art, reflects its time. Symphonies by Beethoven and Berlioz, Schubert and Brahms, Mahler and Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Shostakovich are large-scale reflections on the era and personality, on the history of mankind and the ways of the world.

The symphonic cycle, as we know it from many classical and modern samples, took shape about two hundred and fifty years ago. However, during this historically short period of time, the genre of the symphony has come a gigantic way. The length and significance of this path was determined precisely by the fact that the symphony absorbed all the problems of its time, was able to reflect the complex, contradictory, full of colossal upheavals of the era, to embody the feelings, suffering, and struggles of people. It is enough to imagine the life of society in the middle of the 18th century and recall Haydn's symphonies; great upheavals late XVIII- the beginning of the 19th centuries - and Beethoven's symphonies that reflected them; reaction in society, disappointment - and romantic symphonies; finally, all the horrors that humanity had to endure in the 20th century - and compare Beethoven's symphonies with Shostakovich's symphonies in order to clearly see this huge, sometimes tragic path. Nowadays, few people remember what the beginning was, what are the origins of this most complex of the purely musical genres not related to other arts.

Let's take a quick glance at the musical Europe of the mid-18th century.

In Italy, the classical country of art, the trendsetter of all European countries, opera reigns supreme. The so-called opera-seria ("serious") dominates. There are no vivid individual images in it, there is no genuine dramatic action. Opera-seria is an alternation of various mental states embodied in conventional characters. Its most important part is the aria, in which these states are transmitted. There are arias of anger and revenge, arias of complaints (lamento), mournful slow arias and joyful bravura. These arias were so generalized that they could be transferred from one opera to another without any damage to the performance. Actually, composers did so often, especially when they had to write several operas per season.

The melody became the element of the opera-seria. The renowned art of Italian bel canto found its highest expression here. In arias, composers have reached the true heights of the embodiment of this or that state. Love and hatred, joy and despair, anger and sorrow were conveyed by the music so vividly and convincingly that one did not need to hear the text to understand what the singer was singing about. This essentially paved the way for textless music designed to embody human feelings and passions.

From interludes - inserted scenes performed between acts of the opera-seria and not related to it - its cheerful sister, the comic opera-buff, arose. Democratic in content (its characters were not mythological heroes, kings and knights, but simple people from the people), she deliberately opposed herself to court art. Opera buff was notable for its naturalness, liveliness of action, and the spontaneity of the musical language, often directly related to folklore. It contained vocal tongue twisters, comic parody coloratura, lively and light dance melodies. The finals of the acts unfolded as ensembles, in which the characters sometimes sang all at once. Sometimes such finals were called a "ball" or "confusion", so rapidly the action rolled into them and the intrigue turned out to be confusing.

Instrumental music also developed in Italy, and above all the genre most closely associated with opera - the overture. As an orchestral introduction to an opera performance, she borrowed bright, expressive musical themes similar to the melodies of the arias.

The Italian overture of that time consisted of three sections - fast (Allegro), slow (Adagio or Andante) and again fast, most often a minuet. They called it sinfonia - in translation from Greek - consonance. Over time, overtures began to be performed not only in the theater before the opening of the curtain, but also separately, as independent orchestral works.

At the end of XVII - early XVIII centuries in Italy, a brilliant galaxy of violin virtuosos, who were at the same time gifted composers, appeared. Vivaldi, Iomelli, Locatelli, Tartini, Corelli and others, who perfectly mastered the violin - a musical instrument that in its expressiveness can be compared with the human voice - created an extensive violin repertoire, mainly from pieces called sonatas (from the Italian sonare - sound). In them, as in the clavier sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti, Benedetto Marcello and other composers, some common structural features were formed, which then passed into the symphony.

It was formed differently music life France. They have long loved music associated with words and actions. The art of ballet was highly developed; a special type of opera was cultivated - a lyrical tragedy, akin to the tragedies of Corneille and Racine, which had an imprint of the specific life of the royal court, its etiquette, its festivities.

The composers of France also gravitated towards the plot, the program, the verbal definition of music when creating instrumental pieces. "Waving Cap", "Reapers", "Tambourine" - this was the name of the harpsichord pieces, which were either genre sketches or musical portraits - "Graceful", "Gentle", "Hardworking", "Coquettish".

Larger works, consisting of several parts, originated from dance. The strict German allemand, mobile, like a sliding French chime, the stately Spanish sarabanda and the swift gigue - the fiery dance of English sailors - have long been known in Europe. They formed the basis of the genre of the instrumental suite (from the French suite - sequence). Other dances were often included in the suite: minuet, gavotte, polonaise. An introductory prelude could sound in front of the allemand, in the middle of the suite a measured dance movement at times it was interrupted by a free aria. But the backbone of the suite is four different types of dances different nations- was by all means present in an unchanging sequence, outlining four different moods, leading the listener from the calm movement of the beginning to the exciting, swift ending.

The suites were written by many composers, and not only in France. The great Johann Sebastian Bach, whose name, as well as the German musical culture of that time in general, many musical genres are connected.

In the countries of the German language, that is, numerous German kingdoms, principalities and episcopates (Prussian, Bavarian, Saxon, etc.), as well as in various regions of the multinational Austrian empire, which then included the "people of musicians" - the enslaved Czech Republic by the Habsburgs - instrumental music has long been cultivated. In any small town, town or even village there were violinists and cellists, in the evenings solo and ensemble pieces played with enthusiasm by amateurs sounded. The centers for making music were usually churches and schools attached to them. The teacher was, as a rule, the church organist, who performed on holidays musical fantasies to the best of their ability. In large German Protestant centers, such as Hamburg or Leipzig, new forms of music-making also took shape: organ concerts in cathedrals. These concerts featured preludes, fantasies, variations, choral arrangements and, most importantly, fugues.

Fugue is the most complex type of polyphonic music, which reached its peak in the works of I.S. Bach and Handel. Its name comes from the Latin fuga - running. It is a polyphonic piece based on a single theme that transitions (runs!) From voice to voice. In this case, each melodic line is called a voice. Depending on the number of such lines, the fugue can be three, four, five voices, etc. In the middle section of the fugue, after the theme has sounded completely in all voices, it begins to develop: then its beginning appears and disappears again, then it expands (each of the notes that make up it will become twice as long), then shrink - this is called a topic in an increase and a topic in a decrease. It may happen that, within the theme, the descending melodic moves become ascending and vice versa (the theme is in circulation). Melodic movement moves from one key to another. And in the final section of the fugue - Reprise - the theme sounds again unchanged, as in the beginning, returning to the main tonality of the piece.

Let us recall again: we are talking about the middle of the 18th century. An explosion is brewing in the bowels of aristocratic France, which will very soon sweep away the absolute monarchy. A new time will come. And while revolutionary sentiments are still only latently being prepared, French thinkers are opposing the existing order. They demand the equality of all people before the law, proclaim the ideas of freedom and brotherhood.

Art that reflects shifts public life, is sensitive to changes in the political atmosphere of Europe. An example of this is Beaumarchais's immortal comedies. This also applies to music. It is now, in a difficult period fraught with events of colossal historical significance, in the depths of old, long-established musical genres and forms, a new, truly revolutionary genre is being born - the symphony. It becomes qualitatively, fundamentally different, for it also embodies a new type of thinking.

Presumably, it is no coincidence that, having prerequisites in different areas of Europe, the genre of the symphony was finally formed in the countries of the German language. In Italy, opera was the national art. In England, the spirit and meaning of the historical processes taking place there were most fully reflected in the oratorios of Georg Handel, a German by birth who became the national English composer. In France, other arts came to the fore, in particular, literature and theater, more concrete, directly and intelligibly expressing new ideas that excited the world. The works of Voltaire, "New Eloise" by Rousseau, "Persian Letters" by Montesquieu in a veiled, but rather intelligible form presented readers with caustic criticism of the existing order, offered their own versions of the structure of society.

When, after a few decades, it came to music, a song appeared in the ranks of the revolutionary troops. The most striking example of this is the Song of the Rhineland Army by officer Rouge de Lisle, created overnight, which became world famous under the name of the Marseillaise. The song was followed by the music of mass celebrations, funeral ceremonies... And, finally, the so-called "opera of salvation", which had as its content the pursuit of the hero or heroine by the tyrant and their salvation in the finale of the opera.

The symphony, however, required completely different conditions both for its formation and for full-fledged perception. The "center of gravity" of philosophical thought, which most fully reflected the deep essence of the social changes of that era, ended up in Germany, far from social storms.

There, first Kant and later Hegel created their new philosophical systems. Like philosophical systems, the symphony - the most philosophical, dialectical-procedural genre of musical creativity - was finally formed where only the distant echoes of the approaching thunderstorms reached. Where, moreover, stable traditions have developed instrumental music.

One of the main centers for the emergence of a new genre was Mannheim - the capital of the Bavarian Elector Palatinate. Here, in the brilliant court of Elector Karl Theodor, in the 40-50s of the 18th century, an excellent orchestra, perhaps the best in Europe at that time, was kept.

By that time, the symphony orchestra was still in its infancy. And in the court chapels and in cathedrals, orchestral groups with a stable composition did not exist. Everything depended on the means at the disposal of the ruler or magistrate, on the tastes of those who could give orders. At first, the orchestra played only an applied role, accompanying either court performances, or festivities and solemn ceremonies. And it was considered, first of all, as an opera or church ensemble. Initially, the orchestra consisted of viols, lutes, harps, flutes, oboes, French horns, drums. Gradually the line-up expanded, the number of stringed instruments increased. Over time, violins supplanted the old viola and soon took a leading position in the orchestra. Woodwind instruments - flutes, oboes, bassoons - merged into a separate group, and brass instruments appeared - trumpets, trombones. An obligatory instrument in the orchestra was the harpsichord, which creates a harmonic basis for the sound. Behind him usually took place the leader of the orchestra, who, playing, at the same time gave instructions for the introduction.

At the end of the 17th century, instrumental ensembles that existed at the Courts of the Nobles became widespread. Each of the many small princes of fragmented Germany wanted to have his own chapel. The rapid development of orchestras began, new methods of orchestral playing appeared.

The Mannheim Orchestra consisted of 30 strings, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, clarinet, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 4 horns, timpani. This is the backbone of the modern orchestra, the composition for which many composers of the subsequent era created their works. The orchestra was led by an outstanding musician, composer and violin virtuoso Czech Jan Vaclav Stamitz. Among the artists of the orchestra were also the greatest musicians of their time, not only virtuoso instrumentalists, but also talented composers Franz Xaver Richter, Anton Filz and others. They determined an excellent level of the orchestra's performing skills, which became famous for its amazing qualities - the unattainable evenness of violin strokes, the subtlest gradations of dynamic shades that were not previously used at all.

According to a contemporary critic Bossler, "the exact observance of the piano, forte, rinforzando, the gradual growth and amplification of the sound and then again a decrease in its strength down to a barely audible sound - all this could only be heard in Mannheim." Bernie, an English lover of music who took a trip to Europe in the middle of the 18th century, echoes him: “This extraordinary orchestra has enough space and facets to show all its capabilities and make a great impact. It was here that Stamitz, inspired by the works of Yomelli, for the first time went beyond the usual operatic overtures ... all the effects that such a mass of sounds can produce were tried. It was here that crescendos and diminuendos were born, and the piano, which was previously used mainly as an echo and was usually synonymous with it, and forte were recognized as musical colors that have their own shades ... "

It was in this orchestra that four-part symphonies sounded for the first time - compositions that were built according to the same type and had general laws that absorbed many features of previously existing musical genres and forms and melted them into a qualitatively different one; new unity.

The first chords are decisive, full-bodied, as if calling for attention. Then wide, sweeping passages. Again, chords, replaced by an arpeggiated movement, and then - a lively, elastic, as if unfolding spring, melody. It seems that it can unfold endlessly, but it leaves faster than the rumor wants it: like a guest presented to the owners of the house during a large reception, leaves them, giving way to others who follow. After the moment of general movement appears new topic- softer, more feminine, lyrical. But it does not sound long, dissolving in passages. After some time, we again have the first theme, slightly changed, in a new key. A stream of music flows rapidly, returning to the original, basic tonality of the symphony; the second theme organically flows into this stream, now drawing closer in character and mood to the first. The first movement of the symphony ends with full-sounding joyful chords.

The second movement, andante, unfolds slowly, melodiously, revealing the expressiveness of stringed instruments. This is a kind of aria for orchestra, dominated by lyrics, elegiac meditation.

The third movement is an elegant gallant minuet. It creates a feeling of relaxation, relaxation. And then, like a fiery whirlwind, an incendiary finale bursts in. This is, in general terms, the symphony of that time. Its origins can be traced very clearly. The first movement most of all resembles an opera overture. But if the overture is only the eve of the performance, then here the action itself unfolds in sounds. Typically operatic musical images overtures - heroic fanfare, touching lamentos, stormy buffoons, - not related to specific stage situations and not carrying characteristic individual traits(recall that even the famous overture to The Barber of Seville by Rossini has nothing to do with the content of the opera and was originally written for another opera!), broke away from the opera performance and began an independent life. They are easily recognizable in the early symphony - the decisive courageous intonations of the heroic arias in the first themes, called the main ones, the tender sighs of the lyric arias in the second - the so-called secondary - themes.

The operatic principles are also reflected in the texture of the symphony. If earlier polyphony prevailed in instrumental music, that is, polyphony, in which several independent melodies, intertwining, sounded simultaneously, here polyphony of a different type began to develop: one main melody (most often violin), expressive, significant, accompanied by an accompaniment that sets it off , emphasizes her individuality. This type of polyphony, called homophonic, dominates the early symphony. Later, devices borrowed from the fugue appear in the symphony. However, in the middle of the 18th century, it is more likely to be opposed to a fugue. There was, as a rule, one theme (there are double, triple and more fugues, but in them the themes are not opposed, but juxtaposed). It was repeated many times, but nothing contradicted it. It was, in essence, an axiom, a thesis that has been repeatedly asserted without requiring proof. The opposite in the symphony: in the appearance and further changes of various musical themes and images, one can hear disputes and contradictions. Perhaps, it is in this that the sign of the times is most vividly reflected. Truth is no longer for granted. It needs to be sought, proven, substantiated, comparing different opinions, clarifying different points of view. This is what encyclopedists do in France. This is the basis of German philosophy, in particular, Hegel's dialectical method. And the very spirit of the age of quest is reflected in the music.

So, the symphony took a lot from the opera overture. In particular, the overture also outlined the principle of alternating contrasting sections, which in the symphony turned into independent parts. In its first part - different sides, different feelings of a person, life in its movement, development, changes, contrasts and conflicts. In the second part - reflection, concentration, sometimes - lyrics. In the third - relaxation, entertainment. And, finally, the finale - pictures of fun, jubilation, and at the same time - the result musical development, completion of the symphonic cycle.

Such a symphony will be formed by the beginning of the 19th century, such, in the most general terms, it will be, for example, by Brahms or Bruckner. And at the time of her birth, she apparently borrowed the many parts from the suite.

Allemande, Couranta, Sarabande and Gigue - four obligatory dances, four different moods, which are easily traced in the early symphonies. Dancing in them is expressed very clearly, especially in the finals, which, in terms of the melodic character, tempo, even the measure of the measure, often resemble a gigue. True, sometimes the finale of a symphony is closer to the sparkling finale of an opera buffa, but even then its relationship with dance, for example, the tarantella, is undoubtedly. As for the third part, it is called the minuet. Only in Beethoven's work will the scherzo replace the dance - the gallant courtier or the rude common people -.

Thus, the newborn symphony has absorbed the features of many musical genres, moreover, genres born in different countries Oh. And the formation of the symphony took place not only in Mannheim. There was the Vienna School, represented, in particular, by Wagenzeil. In Italy, Giovanni Battista Sammartini wrote orchestral works, which he called symphonies and intended for concert performance not associated with an opera performance. In France, a young composer, Belgian by origin, François-Joseph Gossek, turned to the new genre. His symphonies did not meet with response and recognition, since programmaticity prevailed in French music, but his work played a role in the formation of French symphony, in the renewal and expansion of symphony orchestra... The Czech composer Frantisek Micha, who at one time served in Vienna, experimented extensively and successfully in his search for symphonic form. His famous compatriot Josef Myslevichka had interesting experiments. However, all these composers were loners, and a whole school was formed in Mannheim, which also had a first-class "instrument" at its disposal - the famous orchestra. Thanks to the fortunate occasion that the Palatinate Elector was a great lover of music and had enough funds to afford the huge expenses on it, great musicians from different countries - Austrians and Czechs, Italians and Prussians - gathered in the capital of the Palatinate, each of whom contributed his own contribution to the creation of a new genre. In the works of Jan Stamitz, Franz Richter, Carlo Toeski, Anton Filz and other masters, the symphony arose in those basic features, which then passed into the work of the Viennese classics - Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven.

So, during the first half century of the new genre's existence, a clear structural and dramatic model has developed, capable of accommodating a varied and very significant content. The basis of this model was the form that received the name of the sonata, or sonata allegro, since most often it was written at this tempo, and later typical for both symphony and instrumental sonata and concert. Its peculiarity is the juxtaposition of various, often contrasting musical themes. The three main sections of the sonata form - exposition, development and recapitulation - resemble the opening, development of the action and the denouement of a classical drama. After a short introduction or immediately at the beginning of the exposition, the "characters" of the play pass in front of the audience.

The first musical theme that sounds in the main key of the work is called the main one. More often - the main theme, but more correctly - the main part, since within the main part, that is, a certain segment of the musical form, united by one tonality and figurative community, over time, not one, but several different melodies began to appear. After the main batch, in the early samples by direct comparison, and in the later ones through a small linking batch, a side batch begins. Her theme or two or three different topics contrasting with the main one. Most often, the side part is more lyrical, soft, feminine. It sounds in a different key than the main, secondary (hence the name of the part) key. A sense of instability and sometimes conflict is born. The exposition ends with the final part, which in early symphonies is either absent, or plays a purely service role as a kind of point, a curtain after the first act of the play, and later, starting with Mozart, acquires the meaning of an independent third image, along with the main and secondary.

The middle section of the sonata form is development. As the name shows, in it the musical themes that the listeners got acquainted with in the exposition (that is, those exhibited earlier) are developed, undergo changes and development. At the same time, they are shown from new, sometimes unexpected sides, they are modified, separate motives are isolated from them - the most active ones, which later collide. Development is a dramatically effective section. At the end of it comes the culmination, which leads to a reprise - the third section of the form, a kind of denouement of the drama.

The name of this section comes from the French word reprendre - to resume. It is a renewal, a repetition of the exposition, but altered: both parts now sound in the main key of the symphony, as if brought to an agreement by the development events. Sometimes there are other changes in the reprise. For example, it can be truncated (without any of the themes that sounded in the exposition), mirrored (first the side part sounds, and only then the main part). The first movement of the symphony usually ends with a coda - a conclusion that asserts the basic tonality and the basic image of the sonata allegro. In the early symphonies, the coda is not large and is, in essence, a somewhat developed final part. Later, for example, in Beethoven, it acquires significant proportions and becomes a kind of second development, in which once again, in the struggle, an assertion is achieved.

This form turned out to be truly universal. From the days of the symphony's inception to the present, it successfully embodies the deepest content, conveys an inexhaustible wealth of images, ideas, problems.

The second movement of the symphony is slow. This is usually the lyrical center of the cycle. Its shape is different. Most often it is three-part, that is, it has similar extreme sections and a middle contrasting one, but it can be written in the form of variations or any other, up to a sonata, which differs structurally from the first allegro only in a slower tempo and less effective development.

The third movement - in the early symphonies of the minuet, and from Beethoven to the present - the scherzo - is usually a complex three-part form. The content of this part over the decades has been modified and complicated from everyday or court dance to the monumental powerful scherzos of the 19th century and beyond, to the formidable images of evil and violence in the symphonic cycles of Shostakovich, Honegger and other symphonists of the 20th century. Since the second half of the XIX century, the scherzo is increasingly changing places with a slow part, which in accordance with new concept symphonies become a kind of emotional reaction not only to the events of the first movement, but also to the figurative world of the scherzo (in particular, in Mahler's symphonies).

The finale, which is the result of the cycle, in early symphonies is often written in the form of a rondo sonata. The alternation of cheerful, sparkling with fun episodes with an invariable dance refrain - such a structure naturally followed from the nature of the images of the finale, from its semantics. Over time, with the deepening of the symphony's problems, the patterns of the structure of its finale began to change. Finals began to appear in sonata form, in the form of variations, in free form, and finally - with features of oratorio (with the inclusion of a chorus). His images also changed: not only life affirmation, but sometimes a tragic outcome (Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony), reconciliation with cruel reality or departure from it into the world of dreams, illusions have become the content of the finale of the symphonic cycle in the last hundred years.

But back to the beginning of the glorious path of this genre. Having arisen in the middle of the 18th century, it reached its classical completeness in the work of the great Haydn.

Symphonies developed into a con. 18 - early. 19th centuries (J. Haydn, W. A. ​​Mozart, L. Beethoven). Lyric symphonies (F. Schubert, F. Mendelssohn) and a program symphony (G. Berlioz, F. Liszt) acquired great importance among romantic composers. An important contribution to the development of symphonies was made by Western European composers of the 19th and 20th centuries. (I. Brahms, A. Bruckner, G. Mahler, S. Frank, A. Dvorak, J. Sibelius and others). Significant place of symphony in Russian (A.P. Borodin, P.I.Tchaikovsky, A.K. Glazunov, A.N. Scriabin, S.V. Rachmaninov, N.Ya. D. Shostakovich, A. I. Khachaturyan and others) to music.

Big Encyclopedic Dictionary. 2000 .

Synonyms:

See what "SYMPHONY" is in other dictionaries:

See agreement ... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and similar expressions. under. ed. N. Abramova, M .: Russian dictionaries, 1999. symphony of harmony, harmony; consonance, dictionary index, symphonietta Dictionary of Russian sinoni ... Synonym dictionary

- (Greek consonance). A large piece of music written for orchestra. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov AN, 1910. SYMPHONY, Greek. symphonia, from syn, together, and phone, sound, harmony, harmony of sounds. ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

Symphony No. 17: Symphony No. 17 (Weinberg). Symphony No. 17 (Mozart) in G major, KV129. Symphony No. 17 (Myaskovsky). Symphony No. 17 (Karamanov), "America". Symphony No. 17 (Slonimsky). Symphony No. 17 (Hovaness), Symphony for Metal Orchestra, Op. 203 ... ... Wikipedia

SYMPHONY, symphonies, wives. (Greek symphonia harmony of sounds, consonance). 1. A large piece of music for orchestra, usually consisting of 4 parts, of which the first and often the last are written in sonata form (music). “The symphony may be ... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

symphony- and, w. symphonie f. , it. sinfonia lat. symphonia c. symphonia consonance. Krysin 1998. 1. A large piece of music for orchestra, consisting of 3-4 parts, differing from each other in the nature of the music and the tempo. A pathetic symphony ... ... Historical Dictionary of Russian Gallicisms

Female, Greek, music harmony, agreement of sounds, polyphonic consonance. | A special kind of polyphonic musical composition. Hayden's Symphony. | Symphony on the Old, on the New Testament, a set, an indication of places where the same word is remembered. Smart ... ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

- (Latin symphonia, from the Greek symphonia consonance, harmony), work for symphony orchestra; one of the main genres of instrumental music. The symphony of the classical type was formed by the composers of the Viennese classical school J. ... ... Modern encyclopedia

Symphony- (Latin symphonia, from the Greek symphonia - consonance, harmony), a piece for a symphony orchestra; one of the main genres of instrumental music. The symphony of the classical type was formed by the composers of the Viennese classical school - J. ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

SYMPHONY, and, wives. 1. Large (usually four parts) piece of music for orchestra. 2. transfer. Harmonic connection, a combination of which n. (book). C. flowers. C. paints. S. sounds. | adj. symphonic, th, th (to 1 value). S. Orchestra ... ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

- (Greek consonance) the title of an orchestral piece in several parts. S. is the most extensive form in the field of concert orchestral music. Due to the similarity, in its construction, with the sonata. S. can be called a large sonata for orchestra. How in… … Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Books

• Symphony. 1, A. Borodin. Symphony. 1, Full score, For orchestra Publication type: Full score Instruments: orchestra Reproduced in the original author's spelling of the 1862 edition. ...

At the end of the Baroque era, a number of composers, such as Giuseppe Torelli (1658–1709), created compositions for string orchestra and basso continuo in three movements, with a tempo sequence “fast - slow - fast”. Though similar compositions usually called "concerts", they did not differ in any way from compositions called "symphony"; for example, dance themes were used in the finals of both concerts and symphonies. The difference mainly concerned the structure of the first movement of the cycle: in symphonies it was simpler - it is, as a rule, a binary two-part form of a baroque overture, sonata and suite (AA BB). The very word "symphony" from the 10th century. meant harmonious consonance; by the end of the 16th century. authors such as J. Gabrieli applied this concept to the consonance of voices and instruments. Later, in the music of such composers as Adriano Banchieri (1568-1634) and Salomon Rossi (c. 1570 - c. 1630), the word "symphony" began to mean the joint sound of instruments without votes. Italian composers of the 17th century often denoted by the word "symphony" (sinfonia) instrumental introductions to an opera, oratorio or cantata, and the term in meaning came close to the concepts of "prelude" or "overture". Around 1680, in the operatic work of A. Scarlatti, a type of symphony was established as an instrumental composition in three sections (or parts), built on the principle of "fast - slow - fast".

Classical symphony.

Listeners of the 18th century I liked orchestral pieces in several parts at different tempos, which were performed both in home meetings and in public concerts. Having lost the function of an introduction, the symphony developed into an independent orchestral piece, usually in three parts ("fast - slow - fast"). Using the features of a baroque dance suite, opera and concert, a number of composers, and above all G.B. Sammartini, created a model of a classical symphony - a three-part work for a string orchestra, where the fast parts usually took the form of a simple rondo or an early sonata form. Gradually, other instruments were added to the strings: oboes (or flutes), French horns, trumpets and timpani. For listeners of the 18th century. the symphony was defined by classical norms: homophonic texture, diatonic harmony, melodic contrasts, a given sequence of dynamic and thematic changes. The centers where the classical symphony was cultivated were the German city of Mannheim (here Jan Stamitz and other authors expanded the symphonic cycle to four movements, introducing two dances from the baroque suite - the minuet and the trio) and Vienna, where Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven (as well as their predecessors, among whom Georg Monn and Georg Wagenzeil stand out, have taken the symphony genre to a new level.

Symphonies by J. Haydn and W.A. Mozart are brilliant examples of the classical style. The parts are clearly separated from each other, each has its own thematic material; the unity of the cycle is ensured by tonal juxtapositions and a thoughtful alternation of the pace and nature of the themes. Strings, woodwinds, brass and timpani provide many instrumental combinations; the lyrical beginning, coming from the operatic vocal writing, penetrates into the themes of the slow movements, the trio sections in the third movements, and into the secondary themes of the other movements. Other motives of operatic origin (octave leaps, repetitions of sounds, scale passages) become the thematic basis of the fast parts. Haydn's symphonies are distinguished by their wit, ingenuity of thematic development, originality of phrasing, instrumentation, texture and thematism; Mozart's symphonies are marked by a richness of melody, plasticity, grace of harmony and masterful counterpoint.

An excellent example of a classical symphony of the late 18th century. - Symphony No. 41 by Mozart (K. 551, C major (1788), known as Jupiter... Her score includes a flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two French horns, two trumpets, timpani and a group of strings (first and second violins, violas, cellos, double basses). The symphony consists of four parts. The first, Allegro vivace, is written in a lively tempo, in the key of C major, in 4/4 size, in sonata form (the so-called sonata allegro form: themes first appear in the exhibition, then develop in development, followed by a reprise, usually ending with a conclusion - coda). The second movement of Mozart's symphony is written at a moderate (moderato) tempo, in the subdominant key of F major, again in sonata form and has a melodious character (Andante cantabile).

The third movement consists of a moderately mobile minuet and trio in C major. Although each of these two dances is written in a round-shaped binary form (minuet - AABABA; trio - CCDCDC), the return of the minuet after the trio gives the overall structure a tripartite structure. The finale is again a sonata form, at a very fast tempo (Molto allegro), in the main key of C major. The finale themes, built on laconic motives, radiate energy and strength; in the finale, Bach's counterpoint techniques are combined with the virtuosity of Mozart's classical style.

In the works of L. van Beethoven, the parts of the symphony are more closely connected thematically, and the cycle achieves greater unity. The principle of using related thematic material in all four movements, carried out in Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, led to the emergence of the so-called. cyclic symphony. Beethoven replaces the calm minuet with a more lively, often exuberant, scherzo; he raises thematic development to a new level, subjecting his themes to all kinds of changes, including contrapuntal development, isolating fragments of themes, changing the scale (major - minor), rhythmic shifts. Beethoven's use of trombones in the Fifth, Sixth and Ninth Symphonies and the inclusion of voices in the finale of the Ninth are very expressive. Beethoven's center of gravity in the cycle shifts from the first movement to the final; in the Third, Fifth, Ninth, the finals are undoubtedly the culminations of the cycles. Beethoven has symphonies "characteristic" and programmatic - the Third ( Heroic) and Sixth ( Pastoral).

Romantic symphony.

With Beethoven's work, the symphony entered a new century. Sharp changes in tempo characteristic of his style, breadth of dynamic range, richness of imagery, virtuosity and drama, sometimes unexpected appearance and ambiguity of themes - all this cleared the way for composers of the Romantic era. Realizing the greatness of Beethoven, they strove to follow his path, without losing their own individuality. Romantic composers, starting with F. Schubert, experimented with sonata and other forms, often narrowing or expanding them; symphonies of romantics are full of lyricism, subjective expression and are distinguished by the richness of timbre and harmonic flavor. Beethoven's contemporary Schubert had a special gift for creating lyrical themes and unusually expressive harmonic sequences. When the logic and orderliness of classicism gave way to the subjectivism and unpredictability characteristic of the art of romanticism, the form of many symphonies became more spacious and the texture was heavier.

Among the German romantic symphonists are F. Mendelssohn, R. Schumann and I. Brahms. Mendelssohn, with his classics in the areas of form and proportions, especially succeeded in the Third ( Scottish) and Fourth ( Italian) symphonies reflecting the author's impressions of visiting these countries. Schumann's symphonies, influenced by Beethoven and Mendelssohn, tend to be cyclical and at the same time rhapsodic, especially the Third ( Rhine) and Fourth. In his four symphonies, Brahms reverently combines Bach's counterpoint, Beethoven's method of development, Schubert's lyricism and Schumann's mood. PI Tchaikovsky avoided the tendency typical of Western romantics to detailed programs for symphonies, as well as the use of vocal means in this genre. The symphonies of Tchaikovsky, a gifted orchestrator and melodist, capture the author's penchant for dance rhythms. Symphonies of another talented melodist, A. Dvořák, are distinguished by a rather conservative approach to symphonic form taken from Schubert and Brahms. Deeply national in content and monumental in the form of A.P. Borodin's symphony.

The author, in whose work a type of program symphony of the last century was formed, which in many respects differs from the abstract or, if one may say so, the absolute symphony of the classical era, was G. Berlioz. In the programmed symphony, a narration is conducted, or a picture is painted, or, generally speaking, there is an element of "extramusical" that lies outside the music itself. Inspired by Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with its final chorus on the words of Schiller's Odes to Joy, Berlioz went further in his epoch-making Fantastic symphony(1831), where each part is a fragment of a kind of autobiographical narrative, and leitmotifs-reminders run through the entire cycle. Among other program symphonies of the composer - Harold in Italy by Byron and Romeo and Juliet according to Shakespeare, where, along with instruments, vocal means are also widely used. Like Berlioz, F. List and R. Wagner were the "avant-garde" of their era. Although Wagner's striving for the synthesis of words and music, voices and instruments led him away from symphony to opera, the great skill of this author influenced almost all European composers of the next generation, including the Austrian A. Bruckner. Like Wagner, Liszt was one of the leaders of late musical romanticism, and his gravitation towards the programmatic gave rise to works such as symphonies Faust and Dante, as well as 12 programmed symphonic poems. Listov's methods of figurative transformations of themes in the process of their development strongly influenced the work of S. Frank and R. Strauss, authors of a later period.

At the end of the 19th century. the work of a number of talented symphonists, among whom each had a bright individual style, marked the final stage of the classic-romantic tradition with its predominance of sonata form and certain tonal relationships. The Austrian G. Mahler saturated the symphony with themes, which originate in his own songs, in dance motives; he often quoted directly from folk, religious or military music. Choir and soloists are used in four of Mahler's symphonies, and all ten of his symphonic cycles are marked by the extraordinary variety and sophistication of orchestral writing. Finn J. Sibelius composed abstract symphonies imbued with deep feeling; his style typically prefers low registers and bass instruments, but overall his orchestral texture remains clear. Frenchman C. Saint-Saens wrote three symphonies, of which the most famous is the last (1886) - the so-called. Organ symphony... The most popular French symphony of this period is perhaps the only symphony by S. Franck (1886–1888).

An excellent example of a post-romantic symphony of the late 19th century. is Mahler's Second Symphony in C minor, completed in 1894 (sometimes called Sunday in connection with the content of the chorale in the last movement). A giant five-movement cycle was written for a large orchestral composition: 4 flutes (including piccolo), 4 oboes (including 2 English horns), 5 clarinets (of which one is bass), 4 bassoons (of which 2 are contrabassoons), 10 horns, 10 trumpets, 4 trombones, tuba, organ, 2 harps, two soloists - contralto and soprano, mixed choir and a huge percussion group including 6 timpani, bass drum, cymbals, gongs and bells. The first movement has a solemn (Allegro maestoso) marching character (time signature in C minor); in terms of structure, it is an expanded sonata form with double exposure. The second movement unfolds at a moderate pace (Andante moderato) and resembles the graceful Austrian landler dance in character. This part is written in the key of sub-median (A-flat major) in 3/8 size and in simple ABABA form. The third movement is notable for the smooth flow of music, it is written in the main key and in 3/8 time. This three-part scherzo is a symphonic development of the song simultaneously composed by Mahler Sermon St. Anthony to the fishes.

In the fourth movement, Urlicht, a human voice appears. This orchestral song, radiant and full of deep religious feeling, is written for solo viola and reduced orchestral composition; it has an ABCB shape, a bend of 4/4, in the key of D flat major. The stormy, "wild" finale at the pace of a scherzo contains many changes in mood, tonality, tempo, meter. It is a very large sonata form with a monumental coda; the finale includes motives of the march, chorale, songs reminiscent of the previous parts. At the end of the finale, voices enter (the solo sopranos and contralto, as well as the chorus - with a hymn about the risen Christ to the words of the German poet of the 18th century F. Klopstock. C minor: the light of faith dispels darkness.

The twentieth century.

In sharp contrast to Mahler's sprawling late romantic cycles, the meticulously finished neoclassical symphonies of such French authors as D. Millau and A. Honegger were. The Russian author I.F. Stravinsky wrote in the neoclassical (or neo-baroque) style, who filled the traditional symphonic forms with new melodic and tonal-harmonic material. The German P. Hindemith also combined forms that came from the past with a sharply individual melodic and harmonic language (he is characterized by a preference for the interval of the fourth in thematic and chordism).

The largest Russian symphonists are S.V. Rachmaninov, S.S. Prokofiev and D.D. Shostakovich. Rachmaninoff's three symphonies continue the national-romantic tradition that goes back to Tchaikovsky. Prokofiev's symphonies are also associated with tradition, but rethought; this author is characterized by rigid motor rhythms, unexpected tonal shifts, and there is a thematicism coming from folklore. Creative life Shostakovich took place during the Soviet period of Russian history. The most "advanced" can be considered his First, Tenth, Thirteenth and Fifteenth symphonies, while the Third, Eighth, Eleventh and Twelfth in to a greater extent associated with the traditional "Russian style". In England, prominent symphonists were E. Elgar (two symphonies) and R.W. Williams (nine symphonies written between 1910 and 1957, including those with a vocal element). Among other authors, each of whom is associated with the traditions of his country, one can name the Poles Witold Lutoslawski (b. 1913) and K. Penderecki, the Czech Bohuslav Martinu (1890-1959), the Brazilian E. Villa-Lobos and the Mexican Carlos Chavez (1899– 1976).

At the beginning of the 20th century. American Charles Ives composed a number of avant-garde symphonies, which used orchestral clusters, quarter-tone intervals, polyrhythmia, dissonant harmonic writing, and collage technique. In the next generation, several composers (they all studied in Paris in the 1920s under Nadia Boulanger) created the American Symphony School: A. Copland, Roy Harris (1898-1981) and W. Piston. In their style, thanks to elements of neoclassicism, the French influence is noticeable, but nevertheless their symphonies create the image of America with its vastness, pathos and natural beauty. Roger Sessions' symphonies are marked by the complexity and whimsicality of chromatic melodic lines, the tension of thematic development, and an abundance of counterpoint. Wallingford Rigger used A. Schoenberg's serial technique in his symphonies; Henry Cowell used experimental ideas in symphonies such as hymn melodies in fugue design, exotic instruments, sound clusters, dissonant chromatism.

Among other American symphonists of the mid-20th century. H. Hanson, W. Schumann, D. Diamond and V. Persichetti can be distinguished. In the second half of the century, interesting symphonies were created by E. Carter, J. Rochberg, W. G. Still, F. Glass, E. T. Tsvilich and G. Corigliano. In England, the symphonic tradition was continued by Michael Tippett (1905–1998). In the 1990s, there was unusual phenomenon: the contemporary symphony has become a hit with the general public. It's about the Third Symphony ( Symphonies of sad songs) of the Pole Heinrich Guretsky. At the turn of the third millennium, composers from different countries created symphonies that reflected the gravitation of their authors to such various phenomena as minimalism, total serialism, aleatorics, electronic music, neo-romanticism, jazz and non-European musical cultures.

from the Greek. symponia - consonance

A piece of music for orchestra, mainly symphonic, usually in sonata-cyclical form. Usually consists of 4 parts; there are S. with more and fewer parts, up to one-part. Sometimes in S., in addition to the orchestra, a choir and solo wok are introduced. voices (hence the path to S.-cantata). There are scores for string, chamber, wind and other orchestra compositions, for orchestra with a solo instrument (S.-concert), organ, choir (choral S.) n vok. ensemble (station C). Concert Symphony - S. with concert (solo) instruments (from 2 to 9), structurally related to the concert. S. often approaches other genres: S.-suite, S.-rhapsody, S.-fantasy, S.-ballad, S.-legend, S.-poem, S.-cantata, S.-requiem, S.-ballet, S.-drama (a kind of cantata), theater. S. (genus honer). By the nature of S. can also be likened to tragedy, drama, lyric poetry. poem, heroic. epic, get closer to the cycle of genre muses. plays, will depict a series. muses. pictures. Typical she combines the contrast of the parts with the unity of design, the multiplicity of diverse images with the integrity of the muses. drama. S. occupies the same place in music as a drama or a novel in literature. As the highest type of tool. music it surpasses all other of its types in the broadest possibilities of embodying means. ideas and a wealth of emotional states.

Originally, in dr. Greece, the word "S." meant a harmonious combination of tones (fourth, fifth, octave), as well as joint singing (ensemble, chorus) in unison. Later, in Dr. Rome, it became the name of instr. ensemble, orchestra. On Wednesday. century S. was understood as a secular instr. music (in this sense, the term was used in France as early as the 18th century), sometimes music in general; in addition, some muses were called so. tools (for example, a wheeled lyre). In the 16th century. this word is used in the title. collection of motets (1538), madrigals (1585), vocals-instructor. compositions ("Sacrae symphoniae" - "Sacred symphonies" G. Gabrieli, 1597, 1615) and then instr. polyphonic plays (early 17th century). It is assigned to polygonalism. (often chordal) episodes such as a wok intro or interlude. and instr. works, in particular for the intros (overtures) to suites, cantatas and operas. Among operatic S. (overtures), two types were outlined: Venetian - of two sections (slow, solemn and fast, fugue), developed later in French. overture, and the Neapolitan - of three sections (fast - slow - fast), introduced in 1681 by A. Scarlatti, who, however, used other combinations of parts. Sonata cyclic the form gradually becomes dominant in S. and receives a particularly multifaceted development in it.

Standing apart approx. 1730 from the opera where the orc. the introduction was preserved in the form of an overture, the page became independent. kind of orc. music. In the 18th century. will fulfill it as a basis. composition were strings. instruments, oboes and French horns. S.'s development was influenced by decomp. types of orc. and chamber music - a concert, a suite, a trio sonata, a sonata, etc., as well as an opera with its ensembles, choirs and arias, whose influence on melody, harmony, structure, and imagery is quite noticeable. How specific. genre S. matured as it became dissociated from other genres of music, in particular theatrical, gained independence in content, form, development of themes, and the creation of that method of composition, which was later called symphonic music and, in turn, had a huge impact on many areas muses. creativity.

The structure of S. has undergone evolution. S. was based on the 3-part cycle of the Neapolitan type. Often following the example of the Venetian and French. Overtures in S. included a slow introduction to the first movement. Later, a minuet entered into S. - first as the ending of a 3-part cycle, then as one of the parts (usually the third) of a 4-part cycle, in the final of which, as a rule, the rondo or rondo sonata form was used. Since the time of L. Beethoven, the minuet was replaced by the scherzo (3rd, sometimes 2nd movement), since the time of G. Berlioz - and the waltz. The sonata form, which is most important for S., is used primarily in the first movement, sometimes also in the slow and last movements. In the 18th century. S. cultivated many. master. Among them are the Italian J. B. Sammartini (85 C., c. 1730-70, of which 7 are lost), composers of the Mannheim school, in which the Czechs occupied a leading position (F.K. Richter, J. Stamitz, etc. .), representatives of the so-called. preclassical (or early) Viennese school (M. Monne, G. K. Wagenzeil and others), the Belgian F. J. Gossek, who worked in Paris, the founder of the French. S. (29 pp., 1754-1809, including "Hunting", 1766; in addition, 3 pp. For brass orchestra). Classic type C. was created by Austr. comp. J. Haydn and W.A. Mozart. In the work of the "father of the symphony" Haydn (104 S., 1759-95), the formation of C. was completed. From the genre of entertaining everyday music, it turned into the dominant kind of serious instrumental. music. Established and established. features of its structure. S. has developed as a sequence of internally contrasting, purposefully developing and united by a common idea of ​​parts. Mozart introduced drama into S. tension and passionate lyricism, grandeur and grace, gave her an even greater stylistic unity (c. 50 C, 1764 / 65-1788). His last S.- Es-major, g-minor and C-major ("Jupiter") - the highest achievement of symphony. lawsuit 18th century Mozart's creative experience was reflected in later works. Haydn. The role of L. Beethoven, who completed the Viennese classical school (9 p., 1800-24), is especially great in the history of S.. His 3rd ("Heroic", 1804), 5th (1808) and 9th (with vocal quartet and chorus in the finale, 1824) S. are examples of heroic. symphony addressed to the masses, embodying the revolution. pathos bunk fight. His 6th S. ("Pastoral", 1808) is an example of programmed symphony (see Programmed music), and the 7th S. (1812), in the words of R. Wagner, is "the apotheosis of dance." Beethoven expanded the scope of S., dynamized its drama, and deepened the dialectic of thematic. development, enriched int. build and ideological meaning WITH.

For Austr. and it. romantic composers 1st floor. 19th century typical genres are lyric ("Unfinished" Schubert's symphony, 1822) and epic (the last - Schubert's 8th symphony) C, as well as landscape and everyday music with colorful nat. coloring ("Italian", 1833, and "Scottish", 1830-42, Mendelssohn-Bartholdi). Psychology has also grown. S.'s wealth (4 symphonies by R. Schumann, 1841-51, in which the slow movements and the scherzo are most expressive). The tendency of spontaneity, which has already emerged among the classics. transition from one part to another and establishing thematic. the connection between the movements (for example, in Beethoven's 5th symphony) intensified among the romantics, and C appeared, in which the movements follow one after the other without pauses ("Scottish" Symphony by Mendelssohn-Bartholdi, Schumann's 4th symphony).

The heyday of the French. S. refers to 1830-40, when there are innovative works. G. Berlioz, the creator of the romantic. software C based on lit. plot (5-part "Fantastic" C, 1830), S.-concert ("Harold in Italy", for viola and orchestra, by J. Byron, 1834), S.-oratorio ("Romeo and Juliet", dram. S. in 6 parts, with soloists and chorus, after W. Shakespeare, 1839), "Funeral and triumphal symphony" (funeral march, "oratorical" trombone solo and apotheosis - for a spirit orchestra or symph. Orchestra, at will - and chorus, 1840). Berlioz is characterized by a grandiose scale of production, a colossal composition of the orchestra, colorful instrumentation with subtle nuances. Philosophical and ethical. the problem was reflected in the symphonies of F. Liszt ("Faust Symphony", but by J. V. Goethe, 1854, with a concluding chorus, 1857; "S. k." Divine Comedy Dante, 1856). As an antipode to the programmatic direction of Berlioz and Liszt, he acted. komi. I. Brahms, who worked in Vienna. In his 4 S. (1876-85), developing the traditions of Beethoven and romantic. symphony, combined classical. harmony and variety of emotional states. Similar in style. aspirations and at the same time individual French. S. of the same period - 3rd S. (with organ) by C. Saint-Saens (1887) and S. d-moll by S. Frank (1888). In S. "From the New World" by A. Dvořák (last, chronologically 9th, 1893), not only Czech, but also Negro and Indian muses were refracted. elements. Significant ideological concepts of Austr. symphonists A. Bruckner and G. Mahler. Monumental works Bruckner (8 pp., 1865-1894, 9th not finished, 1896) richness of polyphonic is inherent. fabrics (the influence of organizational art, as well as, possibly, musical dramas by R. Wagner), the duration and power of emotional build-ups. For Mahler's symphony (9 C., 1838-1909, of which 4 with singing, including the 8th - "symphony of a thousand participants", 1907; the 10th is not finished, an attempt to complete it according to sketches was undertaken by D. Cook 1960; S.-cantata "Song of the Earth" with 2 solo singers, 1908) characterized by the acuteness of conflicts, sublime pathos and tragedy, expressing novelty. funds. As if in contrast to their large compositions using the rich perform. apparatus, a chamber symphony and a symphonietta appear.

Prominent authors of the 20th century in France - A. Roussel (4 S., 1906-34), A. Honegger (Swiss by nationality, 5 S., 1930-50, including 3rd - "Liturgical", 1946, 5th - S. "three re", 1950), D. Millau (12 S., 1939-1961), O. Messiaen ("Turangalila", in 10 parts, 1948); in Germany - R. Strauss ("Home", 1903, "Alpine", 1915), P. Hindempt (4 S., 1934-58, including the 1st - "Artist Matis", 1934, 3- I - "Harmony of the World", 1951), K. A. Hartman (8 S., 1940-62), and others. Contribution to the development of S. was made by the Swiss H. Huber (8 S., 1881-1920, incl. . 7th - "Swiss", 1917), Norwegians K. Sinding (4 S., 1890-1936), H. Severud (9 S., 1920-1961, including anti-fascist by design 5-7- i, 1941-1945), K. Egge (5 S., 1942-69), Dane K. Nielsen (6 S., 1891-1925), Finn J. Sibelius (7 S., 1899-1924), Romanian J. . Enescu (3 S., 1905-19), Dutch B. Peiper (3 S., 1917-27) and H. Badings (10 S., 1930-1961), Swede H. Rosenberg (7 S., 1919- 69, and S. for spirit and percussion instruments, 1968), the Italian J.F. Malipiero (11 S., 1933-69), the English R. Vaughan Williams (9 S., 1909-58), B. Britten (S. Requiem, 1940, "Spring" S. for solo singers, mixed choir, boys' chorus and symphonic orchestra, 1949), Americans C. Ives (5 S., 1898-1913), W. Piston ( 8 S., 1937-65) and R. Harris (12 C, 1933-69), braz Ilets E. Vila Lobos (12 S., 1916-58) and others. A wide variety of types C. 20th century. due to the plurality of creative. directions, nat. schools, folklore connections. Modern S. are also different in structure, form, character: tending towards intimacy and, on the contrary, towards monumentality; not divided into parts and consisting of plural. parts; trad. warehouse and free composition; for the usual symphony. orchestra and for unusual compositions, etc. One of the trends in the music of the 20th century. associated with the modification of the old - pre-classical and early classical - muses. genres and forms. He was given tribute to SS Prokofiev in his "Classical Symphony" (1907) and I. F. Stravinsky in the symphony in C and "Symphony in three movements" (1940-45). In a number of S. 20th century. a departure from previous norms is revealed under the influence of atonalism, athematism, and other new principles of composition. A. Webern built S. (1928) on a 12-tone series. Among the representatives of the "avant-garde" S. is supplanted by decomp. new experimental genres and forms.

The first among the Russian. composers turned to the genre of S. (except for D. S. Bortnyansky, whose "Concert Symphony", 1790, written for a chamber ensemble) Micah. Y. Vielgorsky (his 2nd S. performed in 1825) and A. A. Alyabyev (his one-part C. in e-moll, 1830, and an undated 3-part C. Es-major suite type, with 4 concert horns have been preserved) , later A. G. Rubinstein (6 S., 1850-86, including the 2nd - "Ocean", 1854, 4th - "Dramatic", 1874). MI Glinka, author of the unfinished S.-overture at the bottom of the Russian. themes (1834, completed in 1937 by V. Ya. Shebalin), had a decisive impact on the formation of stylistic. damn rus. S. with all his symphony. creativity, in which compositions of other genres dominate. In S. rus. authors pronounced nat. character, pictures of bunks are captured. life, historian. events, the motives of poetry are reflected. Of the composers of The Mighty Handful, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov was the first as the author of S. (3 S., 1865-74). The creator of the Russian. epic. S. was A.P. Borodin (2 S., 1867-76; unfinished 3rd, 1887, partially recorded from memory by A.K. Glazunov). In his work, especially in "Heroic" (2nd) S., Borodin embodied the images of a gigantic plank bed. strength. Among the highest achievements of world symphonism - man. P. I. Tchaikovsky (6 S., 1800-93, and program S. "Manfred", by J. Byron, 1885). 4th, 5th and especially 6th ("Pathetic", with a slow ending) S., lyric-dramatic in nature, achieve tragic power in the expression of collisions of life; they are deeply psychological. with penetration convey a rich gamut of human experiences. Epic line. S. was continued by A. K. Glazunov (8 S., 1881-1906, including the 1st - "Slavyanskaya"; unfinished 9th, 1910, - one part, instrumented by G. Ya. Yudin in 1948) , 2 S. written by M. A. Balakirev (1898, 1908), 3 S. - R. M. Glier (1900-11, 3rd - "Ilya Muromets"). Symphonies attract you with heartfelt lyrics. S. Kalinnikov (2 S., 1895, 1897), deep concentration of thought - S. c-moll S. I. Taneyev (1st, actually 4th, 1898), dram. pathetic - symphonies by S. V. Rachmaninov (3 S., 1895, 1907, 1936) and A. N. Skryabin, creator of the 6-part 1st (1900), 5-part 2nd (1902) and 3-part 3rd ("The Divine Poem", 1904), distinguished by a special dramatist. integrity and power of expression.

S. occupies an important place in the owls. music. In the work of the owls. composers received a particularly rich and vivid development of the high traditions of classical music. symphony. The owls turn to S. composers of all generations, starting with the senior masters - N. Ya. 1952), and ending with talented composer youth. The leading figure in the field of owls. S. - D. D. Shostakovich. In his 15 pages (1925-71), the depths of human consciousness and the steadfastness of morality are revealed. forces (5th - 1937, 8th - 1943, 15th - 1971), embodying exciting themes of our time (7th - the so-called Leningrad, 1941) and history (11th - "1905", 1957; 12th - "1917", 1961), high humanistic. ideals are opposed to gloomy images of violence and evil (5-part 13th, on words by E. A. Yevtushenko, for bass, chorus and orchestra, 1962). Developing tradition. and modern types of structure S., the composer, along with a freely interpreted sonata cycle (a number of his S. is characterized by a sequence: slow - fast - slow - fast), uses other structures (for example, in the 11th - "1905"), attracts human voice (soloists, chorus). In the 11-part 14th S. (1969), where the theme of life and death is revealed against a broad social background, two singing voices are soloed, supported by strings. and blow. tools.

In the region of S., representatives of numerous people are productively working. nat. branches of owls. music. Among them are prominent masters of owls. music, such as A. I. Khachaturyan - the largest arm. symphonist, author of colorful and temperamental S. (1st - 1935, 2nd - "S. with a bell", 1943, 3rd - S.-poem, with organ and 15 additional trumpets, 1947); in Azerbaijan - K. Karaev (his 3rd S., 1965 stands out), in Latvia - J. Ivanov (15 C, 1933-72), etc. See Soviet music.

Literature: Glebov Igor (Asafiev B.V.), Construction of a modern symphony, " Modern music", 1925, No 8; Asafiev B.V., Symphony, in the book: Essays on Soviet musical creativity, vol. 1, M.-L., 1947; 55 Soviet symphonies, L., 1961; Popova T., Symphony , M.-L., 1951; Yarustovsky B., Symphonies about war and peace, M., 1966; Soviet symphony for 50 years, (comp.), Editor-in-chief G.G. Tigranov, L., 1967; Konen V., Theater and Symphony ..., M., 1968, 1975; Tigranov G., On the National and International in the Soviet Symphony, in the book: Music in a Socialist Society, issue 1, L., 1969; Rytsarev S. ., Symphony in France before Berlioz, M., 1977. Brenet M., Histoire de la symphonie and orchestre depuis ses origines jusqu "and Beethoven, P., 1882; Weingartner F., Die Symphonie nach Beethoven, B. 1898. Lpz., 1926; ego, Ratschläge fur Auffuhrungen klassischer Symphonien, Bd 1-3, Lpz., 1906-23, "Bd 1, 1958 (Russian translation - Weingartner P., Performance of classical symphonies. Tips for conductors, vol. 1, M., 1965); Goldschmidt H., Zur Geschichte der Arien- und Symphonie-Formen, "Monatshefte für Musikgeschichte", 1901, Jahrg. 33, No. 4-5, Heuss A., Die venetianischen Opern-Sinfonien, "SIMG", 1902 / 03, Bd 4; Torrefranca F., Le origini della sinfonia, "RMI", 1913, v. 20, p. 291-346, 1914, v. 21, p. 97-121, 278-312, 1915, v. 22 , p. 431-446 Bekker P., Die Sinfonie von Beethoven bis Mahler, V., (1918) (Russian translation - Becker P., Symphony from Beethoven to Mahler, ed. and introductory article by I. Glebov, L ., 1926); Nef K., Geschichte der Sinfonie und Suite, Lpz., 1921, 1945, Sondheimer R., Die formale Entwicklung der vorklassischen Sinfonie, "AfMw", 1922, Jahrg. 4, H. 1, ego, Die Theorie der Sinfonie und die Beurteilung einzelner Sinfoniekomponisten bei den Musikschriftstellern des 18 Jahrhunderts, Lpz., 1925, Tutenberg Fr., Die ope ra buffa-Sinfonie und ihre Beziehungen zur klassischen Sinfonie, "AfMw", 1927, Jahrg. 8, no.4; eh, Die Durchführungsfrage in der vorneuklassischen Sinfonie, "ZfMw", 1926/27, Jahrg 9, S. 90-94; Mahling Fr., Die deutsche vorklassische Sinfonie, B., (1940), Walin S., Beiträge zur Geschichte der schwedischen Sinfonik, Stockh., (1941), Carse A., XVIII century symphonies, L., 1951; Vorrel E., La symphonie, P., (1954), Brook B. S., La symphonie française dans la seconde moitié du XVIII siècle, v. 1-3, P., 1962; Kloiber R., Handbuch der klassischen und romantischen Symphonie, Wiesbaden, 1964.

B.S.Steinpress

Lecture

Symphonic genres

The history of the birth of the symphony as a genre

The history of the symphony as a genre goes back about two and a half centuries.

At the end of the Middle Ages in Italy, an attempt was made to revive antique drama... This marked the beginning of a completely different type of musical - theatrical art- opera.
In early European opera, the choir did not play this starring as soloists with a group of instrumentalists who accompanied them. In order not to disturb the audience from seeing the artists on the stage, the orchestra was located in a special depression between the stalls and the stage. At first, this very place began to be called "orchestra", and then - and the performers themselves.

SYMPHONY(Greek) - consonance. In the period from the XVI-XVIII centuries. this concept meant “Harmonious combination of sounds”, “harmonious choral singing” and “polyphonic piece of music”.

« Symphonies " called orchestral intermissions between acts of the opera. « Orchestras"(Ancient Greek) were called platforms in front of the theater stage, where the choir was originally located.

Only in the 30s and 40s. In the years of the 18th century, an independent orchestral genre was formed, which began to be called a symphony.

New genre was a work consisting of several parts (cycle), and the first part, which contains the main meaning of the work, must certainly correspond to the "sonata form".

The birthplace of the symphony orchestra is the city of Mannheim. Here, in the chapel of the local elector, an orchestra was formed, the art of which had a huge influence on orchestral creativity, on the entire subsequent development of symphonic music.
« This extraordinary orchestra has enough space and facets- wrote the famous music historian Charles Burney. Here were used the effects that such a mass of sounds can produce: it was here that the "crescendo" "diminuendo" was born, and the "piano", which was previously used mainly as an echo and was usually its synonym, and "forte" were recognized as musical colors, available their shades, like red or blue in painting ... ".

Some of the first composers to create the symphony genre were:

Italian - Giovanni Sammartini, French - Francois Gossek and Czech composer - Jan Stamitz.

Still, Joseph Haydn is considered the creator of the genre of classical symphony. He owns the first brilliant examples of the clavier sonata, string trio and quartet. It was in the work of Haydn that the genre of symphony was born and took shape, it took its final, as we now say, classical outlines.

I. Haydn and W. Mozart summed up and created in symphonic creativity all the best that orchestral music was rich before them. And at the same time, the symphonies of Haydn and Mozart opened up truly inexhaustible possibilities of the new genre. The first symphonies of these composers were designed for a small orchestra. But later I. Haydn expands the orchestra not only quantitatively, but also by using the expressiveness of sound combinations of instruments that correspond only to one or another of his ideas.

This is the art of instrumentation or orchestration.

Orchestration is a living creative act, the design of the composer's musical ideas. Instrumentation is creativity - one of the sides of the soul of the composition itself.

During the period of Beethoven's work, the classical composition of the orchestra was finally formed, which included:

Strings,

Paired composition of wooden instruments,

2 (sometimes 3-4) French horns,

2 timpani. This composition is called small.

G. Berlioz and R. Wagner strove to increase the scale of the orchestra's sound, by increasing the composition by 3-4 times.

The pinnacle of Soviet symphonic music was the work of S. Prokofiev and D. Shostakovich.

Symphony... It is compared to a novel and a story, a film epic and a drama, a picturesque fresco. Meaning all these analogies are understandable. In this genre, it is possible to express that important, sometimes the most important thing for which art exists, for which a person lives in the world - striving for happiness, for light, justice and friendship.

Symphony is a piece of music for a symphony orchestra, written in a sonata-cyclical form. Usually it consists of 4 parts, expressing complex artistic thoughts about human life, about human suffering and joys, aspirations and impulses. There are symphonies with more and fewer parts, up to one-part.

To enhance sound effects, sometimes in symphonies, choir and solo vocal voices. There are symphonies for string, chamber, spiritual and other orchestra ensembles, for orchestra with a solo instrument, organ, chorus and vocal ensemble .... Four parts symphonies express the typical contrasts of life states: pictures of a dramatic struggle (first movement), humorous or dance episodes (minuet or scherzo), sublime contemplation (slow movement) and a solemn or folk dance finale.

Symphonic music - music intended to be performed by symphonic
orchestra; the most significant and richest field of instrumental music,
covering large multi-part works, saturated with complex ideological
emotional content, and small pieces of music The main theme of symphonic music is the theme of love and the theme of enmity.

Symphony Orchestra,
combining a variety of tools, provides the richest palette
sound colors, expressive means.

Symphonic works are still very popular: L. Beethoven Symphony No. 3 ("Heroic"), No. 5, overture "Egmont";

P Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4, No. 6, overture "Romeo and Juliet", concerts (piano,

S. Prokofiev Symphony No. 7

I. Stravinsky excerpts from the ballet "Petrushka"

J. Gershwin symphonic jazz "Rhapsody in the style of the blues"

Music for the orchestra developed in constant interaction with other types of musical art: chamber music, organ music, choral music, and opera music.

Typical genres of the 17th-18th centuries: suite, concert- ensemble-orchestral, overture opera sample. Varieties of the suite of the 18th century: divertissement, serenade, nocturne.

The powerful rise of symphonic music is associated with the advancement of the symphony, its development as a cyclical sonata form and the improvement of the classical type of symphony orchestra. Symphony and other types of symphonic music often began to include choir and solo vocal voices... The symphonic beginning has intensified in vocal and orchestral compositions, opera and ballet. The genres of symphonic music also include symphonietta, symphonic variations, fantasy, rhapsody, legend, capriccio, scherzo, potpourri, march, various dances, various kinds of miniatures, etc. The concert symphony repertoire also includes individual orchestral fragments from operas, ballets, dramas, plays, films.

Symphonic music of the 19th century embodied a huge world of ideas and emotions. It reflects the themes of a wide public sound, the deepest experiences, pictures of nature, everyday life and fantasy, national characters, images of spatial arts, poetry, folklore.

There are different types of orchestra:

Military band (consisting of brass and woodwind instruments)

String Orchestra :.

The symphony orchestra is the largest in composition and the richest in its capabilities; designed for concert performance of orchestral music. The symphony orchestra in its modern form did not take shape immediately, but as a result of a long historical process.

A concert symphony orchestra, unlike an opera one, is located right on the stage and is constantly in the field of view of the audience.

Due to historical traditions, concert and opera symphony orchestras have long been distinguished by their composition, but today this distinction has almost disappeared.

The total number of musicians in a symphony orchestra is not constant: it can fluctuate between 60-120 (and even more) people. Such a large group of participants requires skillful leadership to play consistently. This role belongs to the conductor.

Until the beginning of the 19th century, the conductor himself played an instrument during the performance - for example, the violin. However, over time, the content of symphonic music became more complicated, and this fact, little by little, forced the conductors to abandon such a combination.