Sinfonia facts for kids

Sinfonia is an Italian word that means "symphony." It comes from the Latin word symphonia, which itself came from the Ancient Greek word symphōnia. This Greek word means "agreement or concord of sound." It's made up of two parts: syn (meaning "together") and phōnē (meaning "sound").

In the 1600s and 1700s, a sinfonia was usually a piece of music played by an orchestra. It was often used as an introduction, a short break, or an ending for a larger musical work. These larger works included operas (musical plays), oratorios (large musical stories, often religious), cantatas (vocal pieces with instruments), or suites (collections of dance pieces).

Sometimes, the word "sinfonia" had other meanings. In the Middle Ages, and even up to the late 1500s, it was another name for a musical instrument called a hurdy-gurdy. Later, around the 1800s, when people talked about a sinfonia in an opera, they usually meant an "Overture" – the music played at the very beginning.

The famous composer Johann Sebastian Bach also used the term "sinfonia" for some of his keyboard pieces. These are now better known as his Three-part Inventions.

Sinfonia in Famous Music

One well-known example of a sinfonia is in George Frideric Handel's famous oratorio called Messiah. The piece we now call the "Overture to the Messiah" was originally titled "Sinfony." This piece is a type of French overture.

In more recent times, you might find "Sinfonia" in the names of some smaller orchestras. For example, there's an orchestra called the Northern Sinfonia.

Bach's Sinfonias in Vocal Works

Johann Sebastian Bach often included instrumental pieces called "sinfonias" at the beginning of his vocal works, like cantatas. These sinfonias were like mini-concertos or overtures that set the mood for the singing that followed. Sometimes, these sinfonias were even based on other instrumental pieces Bach had written.

For example, the opening movement of Bach's cantata Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29 is a sinfonia. It is actually a version of the first movement from his Partita for Violin No. 3 in E major, BWV 1006. Another example is the sinfonia in Ich geh und suche mit Verlangen, BWV 49, which is related to the third movement of his Keyboard Concerto No. 2 in E major, BWV 1053.

Bach also used sinfonias in his larger works like the Christmas Oratorio and the Easter Oratorio. There is also a piece called Sinfonia in D major, BWV 1045. Experts believe this was a sinfonia for a cantata that has since been lost, because the original music notes show that it had parts for four singers.

Symphonies with a Different Name

Sometimes, composers after the Classical period have used the word "sinfonia" for pieces that are a bit different from a typical symphony. These pieces might be shorter or written for a smaller group of instruments.

• For instance, the composer Vincent d'Indy wrote a piece called Sinfonia brevis de bello Gallico. This Latin title means "Short Symphony about the War in Gaul."
• Another example is Igor Stravinsky. He named the first part of his 1923 Octet "Sinfonia." An octet is a piece of music written for eight instruments.

See also

In Spanish: Sinfonia para niños

• Sinfonia concertante
• Sinfonietta (symphony)
• Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
• Overture