Chapter 32: Eighteenth-Century Chamber Music Style
Study Plan
Key Points
- The Classical era is considered the golden age of chamber music (ensemble music for two to about ten performers, with one player per part).
- The string quartet (made up of 2 violins, viola, and cello) was the most important chamber music genre of the era; duos, trios, quintets, serenades, and divertimentos were also cultivated.
- The form of a string quartet generally follows a standard four-movement structure of fast-slow-moderate dance-fast.
- Haydn's string quartets, characterized by dense textures and the use of folk elements, are central to the literature for this ensemble.
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