交响乐 (jiāo xiǎng yuè): symphony

On Saturday evening, I went with a friend to the concert hall to listen to a symphony; the conductor's movements were powerful, and the whole performance was deeply moving.

This symphony starts very quietly; then the drums and horns sound together, as if a storm has suddenly arrived, and the audience holds its breath.

When my dad drives, he always likes listening to symphonies; he says that although this kind of music is complex, it can calm him down when he is stuck in traffic.

Our music teacher told us that a symphony is usually performed by string, woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments together, so its sound is especially rich.

To prepare for next month's competition, the orchestra students stayed after class every afternoon to practice that long symphony, and no one complained of being tired.