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sinfonia

American  
[sin-foh-nee-uh, seen-faw-nee-ah] / ˌsɪn foʊˈni ə, ˌsin fɔˈni ɑ /

noun

Music.
  • sinfonias,
    plural
  • sinfonie
    plural
  1. a symphony.


sinfonia British  
/ ˌsɪnfəˈnɪə /

noun

  1. another word for symphony symphony

  2. (capital when part of a name) a symphony orchestra

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of sinfonia

From Italian, dating back to 1880–85; see origin at symphony

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The sinfonia said this left them with a shortfall of £1m over three years.

From BBC Mar. 10, 2023

A 17th-century sinfonia, played with quicksilver energy by the ensemble, created a bridge to the past.

From New York Times Apr. 24, 2022

When the music stopped, I put on another old favorite of mine, a sinfonia concertante.

From New York Times Jun. 15, 2021

Rossi’s publication of books of Sinfonie e gagliarde in 1607 and 1608 are among the earliest printed references to the sinfonia as a distinct form.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Leopold Mozart fell ill of a dangerous sore throat during his stay, and as no practising could go forward in the house at that time, his son employed himself in writing his first sinfonia.

From The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 14, No. 395, October 24, 1829 by Various

So, with respect and plucky daring, Labadie fashioned a concerto from three Bach movements that feature a solo violin: two sinfonias sandwiching an adagio from the “Easter Oratorio.”

From New York Times Oct. 20, 2021

After a night off Mr. Schiff was back for a superb solo recital of Bach’s sinfonias, Bartok’s Piano Sonata and Beethoven’s “Diabelli” Variations, with a sublime account of Beethoven’s Opus 109 Sonata as an encore.

From New York Times Dec. 17, 2011

He played some rarely performed Bach sinfonias at London's Wigmore Hall this week, having just completed a US tour.

From BBC May 4, 2011

I am about to compose a sinfonie concertante,—flute, Wendling; oboe, Ramm; French horn, Punto; and bassoon, Ritter.

From The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Volume 01 by Ludwig Nohl

"Oh, yes! if I may, with equal confidence, rely on its being performed, and that it will not fare like the sinfonie concertante."

From The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Volume 01 by Ludwig Nohl

With regard to the sinfonie concertante there appears to be a hitch, and I believe that some unseen mischief is at work.

From The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Volume 01 by Ludwig Nohl

I took no notice, but said to Le Gros, "A propos, have you given my sinfonie to be copied?"

From The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Volume 01 by Ludwig Nohl

The sinfonie is in Re, the andante in Sol, for here one must not say in D or in G. Le Gros is now all for me.

From The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Volume 01 by Ludwig Nohl

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