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chamber music definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: serious music performed by a small group of musicians

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 1615 music and especially instrumental ensemble music intended for performance in a private room or small auditorium and usually having one performer for each part

Britannica Concise

Music composed for small instrumental ensembles and performed without a conductor. Traditionally intended for performance in a room or reception hall, often solely for the performers' own pleasure, chamber music is now often heard in concert halls. It began with the 16th-cent. instrumental consort, and long continued to be associated with aristocratic households. The duo sonata (usually for violin and continuo) and trio sonata appeared in early-17th-cent. Italy. The string quartet arose in the 1750s and remains the best-known chamber genre and ensemble. The serenade, nocturne, and divertimento were Classical genres for varying instrumental forces, often intended to accompany meals and other activities. Standard ensembles include the string trio (violin, viola, cello), string quintet (two violins, two violas, cello), and piano trio (piano, violin, cello). The chamber orchestra, usually with fewer than 25 musicians, is often used for 18th-cent. music and usually requires a conductor. See also sonata.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

2. pl. Apartments in a lodging house. ``A bachelor's life in chambers.'' --Thackeray. 3. A hall, as where a king gives audience, or a deliberative body or assembly meets; as, presence chamber; senate chamber. 4. A legislative or judicial body; an assembly; a society or association; as, the Chamber of Deputies; the Chamber of Commerce. 5. A compartment or cell; an inclosed space or cavity; as, the chamber of a canal lock; the chamber of a furnace; the chamber of the eye. 6. pl. (Law.) A room or rooms where a lawyer transacts business; a room or rooms where a judge transacts such official business as may be done out of court. 7. A chamber pot. [Colloq.] 8. (Mil.) (a) That part of the bore of a piece of ordnance which holds the charge, esp. when of different diameter from the rest of the bore; -- formerly, in guns, made smaller than the bore, but now larger, esp. in breech-loading guns. (b) A cavity in a mine, usually of a cubical form, to contain the powder. (c) A short piece of ordnance or cannon, which stood on its breech, without any carriage, formerly used chiefly for rejoicings and theatrical cannonades. Air chamber. See Air chamber, in the Vocabulary. Chamber of commerce, a board or association to protect the interests of commerce, chosen from among the merchants and traders of a city. Chamber council, a secret council. --Shak. Chamber counsel or counselor, a counselor who gives his opinion in private, or at his chambers, but does not advocate causes in court. Chamber fellow, a chamber companion; a roommate; a chum. Chamber hangings, tapestry or hangings for a chamber. Chamber lye, urine. --Shak. Chamber music, vocal or instrumental music adapted to performance in a chamber or small apartment or audience room, instead of a theater, concert hall, or church. Chamber practice (Law.), the practice of counselors at law, who give their opinions in private, but do not appear in court. To sit at chambers, to do business in chambers, as a judge.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Chamber music is classical music written for a small number of instruments.

Moby Thesaurus

Nachtmusik, absolute music, adaptation, air varie, aleatory, aleatory music, arrangement, chamber orchestra, composition, descant, electronic music, etude, exercise, harmonization, incidental music, instrumental music, invention, nocturne, opus, orchestration, piece, production, program music, ricercar, score, sonata, sonatina, string orchestra, string quartet, study, theme and variations, trio, variation, work