symphonia

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symphonia.
1. Gr. word taken into Lat. and sometimes used by composers instead of ‘symphony’. Thus R. Strauss's Symphonia Domestica is correct title given by composer, not Sinfonia Domestica (It.).

2. Name given in medieval period to hurdy-gurdy, first str. instr. to which kbd. principle was applied. Perhaps so called because it was used in polyphonic mus., a master of polyphony being then sometimes called a symphoneta (Gr.).

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