The story of chamber music — Inside the Classic

How Chamber Music began—Early Chamber Music compositions—Musical position of England—Purcell—J.S. Bach—Great violin makers—Haydn and Mozart—Corelli and the compass of the violin—William Shield and 5/4 time 1

CHAMBER MUSIC INSTITUTIONS AND CONCERTS.

John Banister’s concerts—Thomas Britton, the musical coalman—Britton’s concerts—“Music Meetings”—Oxford Music School—_Pepys’s Diary_—_Evelyn’s Diary_—Frederick the Great—Bach and the Emperor—The Emperor Frederick’s compositions—Dando concerts—John Ella and The Musical Union—Analytical programmes and position of platform—Quartett Association—Dannreuther’s Musical Evenings—Sir Charles Hallé’s recitals—Monday Popular Concerts—Joachim—Various chamber music institutions—Japanese chamber music 12

HAYDN, P.E. BACH, DITTERSDORF, HANDEL.

J.S. Bach—Joseph Haydn—Philipp E. Bach—Dittersdorf—Early quartetts of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven—Silence as an effect in music—Haydn’s quartetts—Haydn’s Kaiser Quartett—Haydn’s other chamber music—Handel 37

Mozart’s C major Quartett—Mozart’s string quartetts—The genius of Mozart—Mozart’s other chamber music—Wagner on Mozart—Mozart’s letter to his father 59

Beethoven as democrat—Rhythmic similarities—Beethoven’s first and last compositions—Musical humour—The distinction in Beethoven’s chamber music 71

SCHUBERT, MENDELSSOHN, SCHUMANN, AND SPOHR.

Schubert as song-writer—Schubert’s chamber music—Mendelssohn— Mendelssohn’s position in England—Mendelssohn’s character— Mendelssohn’s chamber music—Schumann—Schumann as absolute musician—The E♭ Piano Quintett—Piano trios—Spohr’s opinion of Beethoven’s work—Characteristics of his compositions 82

Opinions of Brahms—Weingartner—H.T. Finck—Bülow on Rubinstein—H. Davey—Schumann—W.J. Henderson—Philip Spitta—Sir Hubert Parry—W.H. Hadow—Piano Trio, op. 8: two versions—Horn Trio, op. 40—String Sextett in B♭—String Sextett in G major—Piano Quartett in G minor—Quintett in F minor—String Quartetts—Thematic resemblances—String Quintetts—Clarinet Quintett—Dvořák—Revival of Bohemian music—Birthplace and early career—Criticisms on his works—His symphonic poems for orchestra—An American national style of music—The Negro Quartett—String Quartetts—Piano Quartetts—Piano Trios—String Sextett—Other chamber music 101

CHAMBER MUSIC OF THE RUSSIAN COMPOSERS.

Russian chamber music—Glinka—Quartett by Ippolitoff-Ivanoff—Quartett by Gretchaninoff—Mozart on melody—Russian schools of musical thought—Belaieff—String Quartett on name Belaieff—Arensky—Trio in D minor: Arensky—Sokoloff—Tanyeëff— Kopyloff—Tschaïkovsky 133

RICHARD STRAUSS AND ANTON BRUCKNER.

Position with regard to classical form—Strauss’s chamber music—Bruckner’s character and individuality—Bruckner’s symphonies—String quintett in F major—Hanslick on Bruckner’s works—Krehbiel on Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony—Weingartner’s opinion 177

CHAMBER MUSIC OF RECENT TIMES.

Trio by E. Schütt—Trio by Kirchner—Raff’s C minor Trio—Balfe’s Trio in A major—Trio: C. Hubert Parry—Trio: Bargiel—Sterndale Bennett’s Trio, op. 26—Trio, D minor: F.E. Bache—Trio, E flat: Nawratil—Trio: Goetz—Trio: Schmidt—Other Trios—String Trios—Quartett: Mackenzie—E flat Quartett: Rheinberger—Quartett: W. Rabl—Quartett: Prout—Quartett: Verdi—Quartett: Onslow—Quartett: W.H. Veit—Unusual combinations 191

APPENDIX A.—Chronological and Biographical 209

APPENDIX B.—Glossary of Terms 244

List of Illustrations.

“CHANT D’AMOUR”: Photogravure after Sir E. Burne-Jones’s Painting _Frontispiece_

A GROUP OF MUSICIANS 15

THE JOACHIM QUARTETT _Face_ 32

THE BOHEMIAN QUARTETT _Face_ 123

IPPOLITOFF-IVANOFF AND ARENSKY _Face_ 135

The Story of Chamber Music.

THE BEGINNINGS OF CHAMBER MUSIC.

How Chamber Music began—Early Chamber Music compositions—Musical position of England—Purcell—J.S. Bach—Great violin makers—Haydn and Mozart—Corelli and the compass of the violin—William Shield and 5/4 time.

“In the time of the Frankish kings,” says Mr. H.E. Krehbiel,[3] “the word chamber was applied to the room in the royal palace in which the monarch’s private property was kept, and in which he looked after his private affairs. When royalty took up the cultivation of music it was as a private, not as a court function, and the concerts given for the entertainment of the royal family took place in the king’s chamber or private room. The musicians were nothing more nor less than servants in the royal household. This relationship endured into the present century. Haydn was a _Haus-officier_ of Prince Esterhazy. As vice-chapelmaster he had to appear every morning in the prince’s ante-room to receive orders concerning the dinner music and other entertainments of the day.”

[Footnote 3: _How to Listen to Music_, p. 45.]

[Sidenote: =How Chamber Music began=]