Chamber Music
The term 'chamber' comes from the word for a room as it is music to be played in a room rather than a large concert hall. Although some chamber music was intended for amateurs to play at home, it is now often performed in the concert hall. It is played without a conductor and uses one player per part (in orchestral music there are sometimes several players to a part). Some of the more common chamber music combinations are duets (two players), trios (three), quartets (four) and quintets (five).
Baroque Chamber Music
The trio sonata was very popular during the Baroque period (roughly 1600–1750). Many Baroque trio sonatas were written for two violins (or recorders, flute or oboe) plus continuo.
The continuo part was played by harpsichord (filling in the harmonies) sometimes with the cello playing the bassline - so there were often four players, not three. The harpsichord is a keyboard instrument where the strings are plucked rather than hammered.
The continuo part was played by harpsichord (filling in the harmonies) sometimes with the cello playing the bassline - so there were often four players, not three. The harpsichord is a keyboard instrument where the strings are plucked rather than hammered.
Classical Chamber Music
During the Classical period (roughly 1750-1810) the harpsichord largely gave way to the piano. Many composers wrote sonatas for a solo instrument plus piano. Violin, cello, and flute sonatas were all popular. Mozart and Haydn both wrote violin sonatas and cello sonatas.
The String Quartet
The string quartet is the most familiar type of composition for a chamber group. It has two violins, a viola and a cello – all the parts are equally important. The two violins have the highest parts, the viola plays in the middle and the cello has the lowest part.
In the 18th century, Haydn was the first well-known composer to write string quartets. Since then most leading composers have written string quartets including Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, Ravel, Bartok, Shostakovitch, John Cage and Stockhausen. Stockhausen’s Helicopter String Quartet (1993) was composed for 'four string players in four helicopters flying in the air and playing'.
Most string quartets are in four movements. The standard Classical form is:
The String Quartet
The string quartet is the most familiar type of composition for a chamber group. It has two violins, a viola and a cello – all the parts are equally important. The two violins have the highest parts, the viola plays in the middle and the cello has the lowest part.
In the 18th century, Haydn was the first well-known composer to write string quartets. Since then most leading composers have written string quartets including Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, Ravel, Bartok, Shostakovitch, John Cage and Stockhausen. Stockhausen’s Helicopter String Quartet (1993) was composed for 'four string players in four helicopters flying in the air and playing'.
Most string quartets are in four movements. The standard Classical form is:
- 1st movement: Allegro (fast) in sonata form
- 2nd movement: Slow
- 3rd movement: Minuet and Trio
- 4th movement: Allegro
Listen to the final movement of Haydn’s String Quartet in E flat, Op.33, No.2. It is marked presto (very fast). Notice how all the instruments have independent parts. |
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The string quartet was by far the most popular chamber music combination during the Classical and Romantic periods. Some composers wrote string quintets which are string quartets plus an extra viola, cello or double bass. One of the most famous string quintets is Schubert’s String Quintet in C which has two cellos.
Schubert’s Trout Quintet is a piano quintet written for piano, violin, viola, cello and double bass. It is known as 'the Trout' because the fourth movement is based on his lied (song) Die Forelle (The Trout). Listen to the opening of the first movement of Schubert’s Trout Quintet. Notice how the themes are divided between the instruments. |
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This video animates the melodic lines of each instrument in a Beethoven String Quartet. Violin I is in orange, Violin II in red, Viola in purple and Cello in blue.
Follow the music through to see how the parts move and interact with each other |
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Chamber Music for Wind Instruments
Piano quintets were composed less frequently, but Mozart and Beethoven both wrote piano quintets for piano, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon.
The first wind quintets (flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn and bassoon) were written during the Classical period and composers still write for the combination.
The first wind quintets (flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn and bassoon) were written during the Classical period and composers still write for the combination.
Listening...
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