“A symphony is no joke.” Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
And he’s not wrong! A symphony is a large-scale, mostly multi-movement cyclical form, that is mainly composed for a large instrumental ensemble, a Symphony Orchestra. The symphony is without a doubt one of the highest forms of instrumental music, and can be found among the works of the greatest composers from the 18th century onwards. Browse our sheet music and scores, and explore all the wonderful symphonies on offer today!
The word symphony is derived from the Greek expression “sym-fónós”, the harmony of several tones at the same time. The father of the symphony is without a doubt Joseph Haydn, who composed a total of 104 symphonies. Mozart then took up the baton, and Beethoven added more and more instruments to enrich the texture. In the classical period, a symphony is usually a four-movement work that uses sonata form in the outer movements. The middle movements are usually made up of a slow movement and a dance movement, a minuet or scherzo.
Over time, new elements began to be introduced to the symphony. The first major development came with Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. With the Ode to Joy Beethoven introduces the choir and soloists to the symphony for the first time. In the romantic period, the formal structure of the symphony gradually loosens, the number of movements changes, and the instrumentation is expanded. One of the high points in the development of the symphony, as it moves into the classical modern period, is the large and complex symphonic works of Gustav Mahler, whose symphonies can include several hundred players and singers.
In contemporary music of the 20th and 21st centuries, various drum and electronic instrument ensembles began to appear in the symphony, such as in the works of Philip Glass. In principle, there are no set rules for modern symphonies, and it is up to the composer which approach to composition he chooses to employ.
"From the New World"
Bärenreiter Urtext
Book (critical commentary)
Item no.: 693649
Urtext
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 299986
Dover Full Scores
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 154205
textcritical edition of the final version 1910
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 685909
2Second Version (1878) with the 1880 Finale
Anton Bruckner Gesamtausgabe (Complete edition)
for: Symphonic orchestra
Conductor score
Item no.: 337522
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 1689964
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 369296
2. Fassung 1877
Anton Bruckner Gesamtausgabe (Complete edition)
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 409798
Dover Full Scores
Book
Item no.: 173321
Erstdruck
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 304760
P. 6, Erstdruck,
Erstdruck
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 282795
Critical Edition of the Orchestral Music, Volume 3
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 139273
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 289320
Perger 41
Erstdruck
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 282584
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 1689957
“From the New World”
Revised new edition of score and orchestral parts
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 186850
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 217972
Leningrad
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 1680966
"The Great"
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 175113
für Sopran und Orchester (Neuausgabe 2011)
Eulenburg Studienpartituren
for: Voice, orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 391788
“Scottish”
Urtext based on the Leipzig Mendelssohn Complete Edition
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 487283
"The Surprise"
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 280725
for: Chamber orchestra
Score
Item no.: 313083
Russische Musik der Moderne
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 108932
"Resurrection"
New revised edtion based on the Critical Edition of 2010. A separate textbook with historical essays and a critical report in German and English is enclosed
for: 2 soloists (SA), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Score (with critical report)
Item no.: 579442
Version of 1851
Urtext
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 229329
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 689794
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Symphonic orchestra
9 Study scores (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 283473
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 1640578
for: school orchestra
Book
Item no.: 327667
"London No. 11"
Eulenburg Miniature Scores
for: Orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 737494
"Pastorale"
Eulenburg Miniature Scores
op. 68
for: Orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 753243
Symphony cantata
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SSAATB), orchestra, organ
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 279250
Recent Researches in the Music of the Classical Era 17
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score (anthology)
Item no.: 208206
"Italian"
Eulenburg Miniature Scores
op. 90
for: Orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 758143
"London No. 7"
Eulenburg Miniature Scores
for: Orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 736795
"Haffner"
Eulenburg Miniature Scores
for: Orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 758376
"Unfinished"
Eulenburg Miniature Scores
for: Orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 758186
"Scottish"
Eulenburg Miniature Scores
op. 56
for: Orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 726062
for orchestra
New Edition of the Complete Works (NBE)
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 196857
Symphony-Cantata
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 229353
Recent Researches in the Music of the Classical Era 18
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score (anthology)
Item no.: 686821
Symphony cantata MWV A 18
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SSAATB), orchestra, organ
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 1641236
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Symphonic orchestra
Book (critical commentary)
Item no.: 276532
Urtext nach der Gesamtausgabe „Jean Sibelius Werke“ (JSW)
for: Flöten (2), Oboen (2), Klarinetten (2), Fagotte (2), Hörner (4), Trompeten (3), Posaunen (3), Tuba, Pauke, Triangel, Becken, Streicher*
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 558778
The definitive version of Sibelius' Third
JSW – Complete Works – Series I (Orchestral works) 4
edited by the National Library of Finland and the Sibelius Society of Finland
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score (Hardcover, Urtext edition)
Item no.: 561474
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 486279
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 358989
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