Book excerpt: The idea of the symphony was redefined and transformed throughout the nineteenth century, as modern instruments were developed with their extended ranges and colorful palette, the orchestra became an institution, and composers struck out in all directions to establish individual profiles. The Nineteenth-Century Symphony explores the styles, forms, and performance practices that characterize the symphonic repertoire from Schubert through the early works of Mahler. The essays in this volume seek both to summarize existing scholarship and to explore new critical approaches to nineteenth-century symphonic music.