Editor’s Note:
To experience the joys of chamber music firsthand, come to our next concert where the ATOS Trio performs music by Turina, Mendelssohn, and Schubert. In this post, our blogger Christopher Richardson explores why chamber musicians love their genre.
Challenges
In my opinion, some of the greatest fun to be had playing music involves chamber music. Summer music festivals often incorporate or even focus on the formation of chamber music groups, and many musicians flock to these opportunities. A few solo competitions even involve a round of chamber music in order to judge musicians’ holistic abilities, because chamber music requires skills not required by solo playing. Here are a few major reasons why chamber music is so popular among musicians.
Relationships
The career of a soloist, especially a pianist, is very lonely. You spend hours every day perfecting your art. When you finally go on stage and perform, you’re presenting what amounts to your heart and soul to the world, and that is a scary thing to do. When you form a chamber group, whether a temporary one as part of a music festival or a long-lasting one locally, the relationships formed are typically stronger and easier to form due to the shared love for music. You get a feel for each other’s personalities through the way everyone plays, and the experience will likely improve your own skills as a musician. The connections made can last a lifetime..
Repertoire
Although not quite as vast as solo repertoire, chamber music has some of the best repertoire in classical music history. The variety and quantity of instruments allow the composers to achieve amazing effects that would be difficult or impossible for a soloist. Chamber music covers some of the greatest works of composers like Beethoven, Schumann, and Dvorak.
A Happy Medium
There’s a balance in chamber music between the individuality within a solo performance and the unity and all-encompassing sound of an orchestra. It’s not quite as flexible as solo playing, but it’s far more so than orchestral music.
It’s Fun
This is enough of a reason already: People tend to find activities more fun when done with others.
I can only stress that chamber music is amazing and is a valuable experience for any musician to have. To read more about the appeal of chamber music, check out this interview with artists Michelle Schumann and Ames Asbell.
