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On your explorations of the classical music universe, you\u2019re likely to hear the term \u2018chamber music\u2019 a lot. But what does this term denote? <\/strong><\/p>\n What makes a certain piece of music \u2018chamber music\u2019? And how does this compare with other classical music forms, such as orchestral music or instrumental music?<\/p>\n Let\u2019s begin with a definition of chamber music, before moving on to recommend some great pieces of chamber music to start you off.<\/p>\n Classical music can be performed by all sorts of configurations of\u00a0 performers. At one end, you have solo music \u2013 a solo piano sonata or violin sonata, for example \u2013 which requires just one performer. At the other extreme, there\u2019s orchestral music \u2013 symphonies, concertos, tone poems and more. These works involve much larger forces \u2013 typically a full-size orchestra although in some cases,\u00a0 such as Mahler\u2019s massive Symphony no.8<\/a><\/strong>, a choir is added into the mix as well.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> On this spectrum from soloist to full-size orchestra, chamber music sits somewhere in the middle. A piece of chamber music will typically contain parts for anything between two and nine players \u2013 although, as there are also chamber orchestras, the dividing lines between chamber music and orchestral music do get somewhat blurred.<\/p>\n At its smallest, chamber music can be for just two people. This will often, but not always, be a piano plus one other instrument, and will be known as a sonata. So, for example, Brahms \u2013 one of the undisputed masters of chamber music<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 wrote two cello sonatas (for cello and piano), two clarinet sonatas (clarinet and piano) and three violin sonatas (violin and piano).<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> We can use Brahms as an example, in fact, as we move through the various common chamber music configurations.<\/p>\n Chamber music for three performers is known as a trio, and the most common configuration is piano, violin and cello. Brahms wrote three piano trios<\/strong><\/a> (a fourth is usually attributed to him), but he also wrote a horn trio (horn, cello, piano) and a clarinet trio (clarinet, violin, piano).<\/p>\n Moving up to music written for four performers, the most common configuration here is the string quartet. Brahms wrote three of these \u2013 but he also wrote three piano quartets<\/strong><\/a>, in which a piano replaces one of the violins.<\/p>\n Moving up to music for five performers, Brahms wrote one of the most famous piano quintets (for piano and string quartet) in the repertoire<\/strong><\/a>. The German composer also composed a pair of string quintets (for two violins, two violas and a cello) and a brace of string sextets<\/strong><\/a> (adding another cello into the mix). Unsurprisingly, as the personnel increases, the sound becomes somewhat fuller and warmer.<\/p>\n Moving on up, we also have septets (such as that written by Beethoven), octets (Mendelssohn\u2019s wonderful work, composed at the age of just 16, is rightly the most famous<\/strong><\/a>) and even the nonet. The Czech composer Martinu wrote one of these, for wind quintet, string trio and double bass. The permutations are virtually endless!<\/p>\n Being composed for smaller forces than orchestral music, chamber music tends to have a more intimate, thoughtful, personal feel. If an orchestral work is generally more about the grander gestures, a piece of chamber music can seem more like a dialogue \u2013 between the performers, be they a piano trio or a string quartet, but also between those performers and the listener.<\/p>\n A good way of understanding the difference here is to compare Shostakovich\u2019s 15 symphonies with his 15 string quartets. Shostakovich\u2019s symphonies were written for public performance, and often in response to demands from the Communist regime. As such, they are big, often declamatory works. Think of the first movement of the Symphony No.7, \u2018Leningrad\u2019<\/strong><\/a>, for example. This is music to be heard in a large auditorium, and music with a big public message to convey \u2013 in this case, the resistance of the citizens of Leningrad people against the Nazi invaders.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> In contrast, Shostakovich\u2019s string quartets are far more personal, intimate affairs. Many were not heard in public for years after their composition, and the contrast between the bombast of Symphony no.7 and the quiet angst of his String Quartet no.7 could hardly be more pronounced.<\/p>\nWhat is chamber music?<\/h2>\n
What different groupings are common in chamber music?<\/h3>\n
Does chamber music tend to have certain moods?<\/h3>\n
Five wonderful pieces of chamber music to get you started<\/h2>\n
Brahms: Violin Sonata No.1<\/h3>\n