Both Uses of
symphony
in
Arrowsmith
- He was suddenly in conference with conductors of symphony orchestras, directors of art-schools, owners of itinerant Chautauquas, liberal governors, ex-clergymen who wrote tasty philosophy for newspaper syndicates, in fact all the proprietors of American intellectuality— particularly including a millionaire named Minnigen who had recently been elevating the artistic standards of the motion pictures.†
Chpt 30 *
- "Well, anyway— She who might have picked any number of well-bred, agreeable, intelligent chaps—and I MEAN intelligent, because this Arrowsmith person may know all about germs, but he doesn't know a symphony from a savory…… I don't think I'm too fussy, but I don't quite see why we should go to a house where the host apparently enjoys flatly contradicting you…… Poor devil, I'm really sorry for him; probably he doesn't even know when he's being rude."†
Chpt 39
Definition:
-
(symphony) a long and complex piece of music -- typically for full orchestra in four parts
or: an orchestra that plays such; or such a performance
or: any harmonious composition of complex parts as in "a symphony for the palate."