Definitions For Sinfonietta

Noun

SINFONIETTA (plural s, sinfoniette) (music) A small-scale symphony (either in length or size of orchestra needed). (music) A small orchestra.

Translations

Japanese: シンフォニエッタ (shinfonietta)

References

“” listed in the w:oxford english dictionary, oxford english dictionary [2nd Ed.; 1989] [It., dim. of prec.] w:grove dictionary of music and musicians#grove music online, grove music online, The word is not genuine Italian and has been little used by Italian composers. It was apparently coined by Joachim Raff, whose Sinfonietta in F for ten wind instruments, op.188, was published in 1874. w:the oxford companion to music, the oxford companion to music, The first known work to be so designated was Rimsky-Korsakov’s Symphoniette sur des thèmes russes, composed c. 1880 and published in 1887. Since the early 20th century the Italian form ‘sinfonietta’ has been preferred (the word is not genuinely Italian, however).

Etymology

Either: from the ; formed on the roots sinfonia, , symphony + -etta (feminine diminutive suffix), either in or in (as Sinfonietta) and adopted thence; or, an alteration of the to resemble an construction of the form sinfonia + -etta. Compare the – hybrid symphonietta.