tone poem

American  

noun

Music.

1. an instrumental composition intended to portray a particular story, scene, mood, etc.

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tone poem British  

noun

1. another term for symphonic poem

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Etymology

Origin of tone poem

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

The essence of this Beethoven was in finding peace, and that essence was furthered in Strauss’ tone poem “Don Quixote,” which followed, and the premiere of Andreia Pinto Correia’s “Cortejo,” another L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2024

Without news from home, “Orbital” might well have been more of a tone poem than fully realized fiction.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2023

“The Inspection” filters the brutal claustrophobia of Stanley Kubrick’s boot camp horror show through the piercing subjectivity of Barry Jenkins’ coming-of-age tone poem.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 2, 2022

Nor is it a tone poem, in which it might be sufficient for songs simply to create a mood and please the ear.

From New York Times • Nov. 3, 2022

The ballet music from Massenet's opera "Thaïs," and Strauss's tone poem "Till Eulenspiegel," given by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

From Annals of Music in America A Chronological Record of Significant Musical Events by Lahee, Henry Charles