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Josef Haydn is generally considered the Father of the Symphony, so this may help lead you to the answer.


- While this is true there is no such thing as 'the' first symphony. The form has evolved almost constantly, and the 4 movements (sonata-allegro, slow, minuet, finale) of Haydn are very different to the one movement or even 15 movements symohonies of modern composers.

In the renessaince and Baroque times the word sympony and overture were used interchangeable and the symphony was often the first prelude in an Opera. Bachs sons, Carl Phillip and Johann Christian both wrote many symphonies though these were in 3 movement.

Joseph Haydn solidified the form and concept of the symphony as a four movement piece described above. Eventually writing 104 symphonies himself.

However by the time of Beethovens Late 9th he had revolutionised it again and during the romantic era it was considered the most important form for musical expression. Here the symphony grew in size, emotional depth and often strayed from conventional Structure.
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15y ago

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