Final answer:
The question pertains to Romantic era composers like Strauss and Wagner, who created symphonies with classical form and Wagnerian scale. These works combine structural elements from the Classical period with the Romantic characteristics of deeper emotional expression.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question relates to the symphonies composed by the giants of the Romantic era of music, specifically referring to those akin to the structure of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony but possessing a Wagnerian scale and majesty. Often, these symphonies were large-scale works that maintained the classical forms popularized by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven but extended them in terms of emotional breadth and length, as seen in the works of Berlioz, Strauss, and Wagner. These composers embraced the drama and expressiveness characteristic of the Romantic movement while drawing upon the structural foundations laid by their Classical era predecessors.
Stanley Kubrick's usage of pieces like Strauss's Thus Spake Zarathustra and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in his films provides an example of how these works can amplify emotional impact in modern mediums beyond the concert hall. Strauss's selection was inspired by Nietzsche's philosophical novel, and Beethoven's work, symbolic of joy and brotherhood, has been employed in various cultural and political contexts, such as the spontaneous performance in Odessa amidst political tensions, highlighting its universal appeal and adaptability.
While some composers like Schoenberg ventured into atonality and the twelve-tone scale, challenging conventional listening habits, others like Berlioz, Strauss, and Wagner pushed boundaries within the tonal framework, thus evolving the art form without detaching completely from the established musical tradition.