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A symphony is a larger-scale work for orchestra and, occasionally, singers, usually divided into several movements.<\/strong><\/p> That said, it’s sobering to consider how much argument there\u2019s been over the years about what constitutes a \u2018real\u2019 symphony. <\/p> Surely, you might think, if a piece of music works, and the composer chooses to call it \u2018Symphony\u2019, that\u2019s an end to the matter? <\/p> Oh, dear me, no. Intellectual battles have been fought long and hard over whether the form should have a title or a literary programme, or whether it should be pure, \u2018absolute\u2019 music.<\/p> Not just intellectual battles: there are reports of fistfights between supporters of Brahms<\/a><\/strong> (the classical, \u2018absolute\u2019 symphony) and Liszt<\/a><\/strong> (the descriptive programme-symphony). <\/p>What exactly is a symphony in classical music?<\/h2>