User:OnBeyondZebrax/sandbox/Symphony

In the 17th century, for most of the Baroque period, the terms symphony and sinfonia were used for a range of different compositions, including instrumental pieces used in operas, sonatas and concertos—usually part of a larger work. The terms "overture", "symphony" and "sinfonia" were interchangeable for much of the 18th century (Larue, Bonds, Walsh, and Wilson 2001). During the 18th century, the "Italian" style of symphony, often used as overture and entr'acte in opera houses, became a standard three-movement form: a fast movement, a slow movement, and another fast movement. Eventually this became a four-movement form through the addition of a second middle movement (Prout 1895, 249), typically a minuet or scherzo with a trio. The four-movement symphony became dominant in the latter part of the 18th century and most of the 19th century. With the rise of established professional orchestras, the symphony assumed a more prominent place in concert life between approximately 1790 and 1820.