The Piano in Chamber Music

Abstract

The definition of chamber music has always been a little vague. Technically, it embraces all instrumental ensemble music to be played by no more than nine players, and with no more than one instrument to a part (excepting the cello, whose subservient nature has already been noted). The following survey is in ascending order of instrumental population, up to the number of seven, and is confined, on the whole, to the music of great composers.