Development to the Present Day

In the chambers and salons of 18th-century palaces, a small number of guests would gather to listen to music performed by small ensembles, composed almost exclusively of string instruments. The compositions written for these groups came to be known as chamber music.

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During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, chamber music was reserved for the European upper class. Over time, however, it began to spread into small concert halls and private homes, as it proved far more economical. By the late 18th century, the string quartet had become the highest form of chamber composition. Mozart and Haydn introduced structures that clearly distinguished chamber music from the orchestral symphony.

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From the musical practice of the Middle Ages to the late Baroque, composition was based on the simultaneity of multiple musical lines. Chamber music composition also relies on the interplay of several independent musical lines (counterpoint), which often made listening and appreciation more demanding.

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In the course of musical developments over recent centuries, European society proposed a “simplification” of musical composition. This included the reduction of musical material to a single main melody with accompaniment an approach that became known as the Galant style.

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Composers of chamber music embraced this new style, also influenced by the rise of the pianoforte. They began composing for new ensembles featuring this instrument, such as piano and violin (or flute) duos, piano and cello duos, piano trios, piano quartets, and more. Writing for quartet formats both string quartets and flute quartets was also widely embraced in classical society. Over time, especially the string quartet became one of the most important chamber music formats in history.

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In the 19th century, although chamber music remained deeply rooted in domestic musical culture, it was cultivated with the same seriousness and artistic importance as orchestral music.​ Smaller ensembles began appearing on the same stages once reserved exclusively for orchestras—a practice previously limited to large cities that could afford the luxury of a full orchestra.