Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. An instrumental composition serving as an overture, as to an opera or cantata, especially in the 18th century.
- n. A symphonic composition.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. In music, same as symphony.
Wiktionary
- n. A symphony.
- n. A piece or music serving as an overture, interlude or ritornello.
- n. A small symphony orchestra.
Etymologies
- Italian, from Latin symphōnia, group of musicians; see symphony. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“By the 18th century, composers were calling the overture to an opera, or an oratorio, the "sinfonia".”
The Guardian: How the great symphonies became our soundtrack to a changing world
“The BSO is part of the consortium; the sinfonia will next be heard in Richmond and Detroit.”
“The quartet played original instruments – a sinfonia, a fídulo (which seemed to have only one string), viola de gamba, lute, and various versions of guitars.”
“Votem em consciência ... na vossa sinfonia preferida Actualização”
“Sete balões de ar quente, cada um equipado com uma coluna de som descolam ao nascer do sol voando sobre o lado ocidental da cidade de Sidney criando uma sinfonia aérea.”
““Concentrandoci sulla sincronizzazione di prodotti HP, le stampanti diventano una orchestra in una sinfonia estetica condotta dai PC.””
“A derrota de Napoleão na Rússia inspirou Guerra e Paz de Tolstoi; os acordes da sinfonia 1812 de Tchaikovsky fazem parte da memória musical do mundo.”
“Só para referência: post composto ao som da sinfonia Appalachian Spring, de Aaron Copland.”
“Apesar da qualidade do som da banda, o mais excitante no concerto foi a sinfonia de máquinas de jogo e o jogo de imagens das mesinhas de pano verde.”
“It is, however, curious that the bag-pipe was known in Italy and Spain during the middle ages, the two countries through which Eastern culture was introduced into Europe, by the name of _zampogna_ or _sampogna_, which strongly recall the Chaldaean _sump [= o] ny [= a] _; and further that in the same countries the word _sinfonia_ should be coexistent with _zampogna_ and have the original meaning attached to the classical”
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 2 "Baconthorpe" to "Bankruptcy"
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘sinfonia’.
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summer words 2009
how many words can I make mine this summer?
largess, hoyden, catholic, fornicatress, quean, slattern, bildungsroman, sybaritic, descresent, nodus, frittle, callipygian and 529 more...
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Words of Whimsy & Grace
abecedary, addendum, ampersand, anachronism, avuncular, balderdash, barnacle, befuddle, behemoth, bejeebers, blabbermouth, blatherskite and 465 more...
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Beautiful Music
a cappella, accelerando, accompagnato, adagio, ad libitum, agitato, aleatory, alla breve, allegro, allemande, alto, andante and 548 more...
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Bulkers
Bulk cargo vessels.
There's a touching innocence in some of these names - wistful veneers of optimism on unlovely hulks.
n.b. At time of writing the wikipedia entry on bul...full beauty, thor, anemone, tom antwerp, lowlands opal, fair wind, joyous world, linda leah, ocean celebrity, sinfonia, golden wing, bungo spirit and 6 more...
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A Night at the Opera
Opera terminology.
sitzprobe, claque, maestro, impresario, divo, diva, spinto, bel canto, falsetto, parlando, pants role, trouser role and 50 more...
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the musician
Started off as names of musical pieces and miscellaneous music terms, now broadened to dance and theatre. (May recategorize this to finer details.)
oratorio, berceuse, barcarolle, appoggiatura, acciaccatura, polonaise, mazurka, overture, canto, arabesque, sinfonia, sonata and 44 more...
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m
impromptu, prelude, elegy, csárdás, bourrée, sarabande, partita, virtuoso, sonatina, fantasia, maestoso, lamentando and 34 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for sinfonia.

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