Symphony
From the Classical period onwards the Symphony became the most important composition for the orchestra.
It developed from instrumental music in the Baroque period such as:
Italian overture
trio sonata
dance suite
Use the links below or in the navigation bar to access the pages.
Any page can be accessed on its own but it is suggested that the best benefit will be gained from following the pages in chronological order.
| Classical Symphony - Haydn and Mozart |
| Early Romantic Symphony - Beethoven and Schubert |
| Later Romantic Symphony - Brahms, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Bruckner and Mahler |
| Programme Music - Vivaldi to Smetana |
| 20th Century - Debussy, Elgar, Shostakovitch, Britten |
| Symphony quiz - Test your knowledge and understanding of the concepts used in this topic |
Listening to the sound files
All audio clips require Flash player. Click on this trial sound file to check if you have this installed on your computer:
You don't have the latest version of Adobe Flash Player.
This website makes use of Adobe Flash Player, you have an old version which cannot play the content we've created.
Why not download and install the latest version now? It will only take a moment. 
We recommend that you use headphones to enjoy the best quality from the sound files.
Check out the Help page if you need any further assistance using the resource.