The symphony (from the Greek for “sounding together”) is the king of instrumental genres. The classical four-movement model was established by Haydn: I — a fast Allegro in sonata form, II — a slow lyrical movement, III — a minuet or scherzo, IV — an energetic finale.
Beethoven expanded the symphony: the Third brought a funeral march, the Ninth introduced chorus and soloists. Mahler wrote symphonies ninety minutes long — “all my symphonies are one huge work about the meaning of life.” In the 20th century the genre was reimagined by Sibelius, Penderecki, and Mahler. The Ukrainian symphonic school includes Lyatoshynsky (five symphonies), Silvestrov, Skoryk, and Stankovych.
