Chamber music

Chamber music, musical composition intended for a small ensemble. Originally the term meant domestic music, written by a house composer for a patron. It became established as a special genre during the 17th and 18th centuries. The instrumental combinations are varied, usually with not more than 15 instruments. Chamber music is characterized by an intimacy of communication between the performers. The principal form of composition is the string quartet (2 violins, viola, and cello), which was developed by Franz Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and expanded to new dimensions by Ludwig van Beethoven.