Chamber vs. Symphonic

[WI Dan]

Chamber music is more important to me, if I have to make a choice.  I was hoping this day would never come.  Dagnabbit.    

[jochanaan]

Now I understand that some people want us to make choices, but this is a really impossible one for me. Both chamber and symphonic music have their beauties, and it's as pointless to compare them as to compare a supermodel with a great actor.

As a performer, I do love playing with a "crowd" of orchestral musicians, but the intimate interactions of chamber music are rewarding in a very different but equivalent way.  The one advantage chamber music has is that it's easier to get a small group of good players together.

[jochanaan]

I will not be voting any time soon, but just to be clear, does chamber music include keyboard (solo) works?

It does.  At least according to the available poll responses.   I would say that, perforce, chamber music would also include accompanied solos such as violin sonatas.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

[Opus106]

I would say that, perforce, chamber music would also include accompanied solos such as violin sonatas.

I thought that that was a given.

[ChamberNut]

And what is the line between chamber and symphonic/orchestral? <10 = Chamber?

[Opus106]

And what is the line between chamber and symphonic/orchestral? <10 = Chamber?

Ideally, it should be decided by the size of the chamber.

By the modern [OED] definition, I'd think it deals more with how the work is played rather than how many players are involved. In most symphonic music, and orchestral music in general, the musicians tend to play as teams of different (types of) instruments, rather than each individual musician having a "voice" of their own. [That's just the layman's take on the state of matters. A counter-example from the last decades of 20th century appearing in 3... 2... 1... .]

And, BTW, your limit of 10 would automatically push out the Gran Partita to symphonic music. We don't want that to happen, do we?

[ChamberNut]

And, BTW, your limit of 10 would automatically push out the Gran Partita to symphonic music. We don't want that to happen, do we?

Oooh, my beloved Gran Partita!  0:)  For some reason, I always thought of it as an 'orchestral' work?  I know it's not technically such, but it has that 'feel' to me.

[ChamberNut]

Allmusic Guide lists the Gran Partita as an orchestral work, FWIW, which probably isn't much.

[Opus106]

I'll wait for Gurn's reaction to that one, if any.

[secondwind]

Allmusic Guide lists the Gran Partita as an orchestral work, FWIW, which probably isn't much.

Chamber music is generally played without a conductor; orchestral or symphonic music has someone out front waving a baton.  The Gran Partita is performed both ways.  Hmmmm.  It must be a banana.

[Dana]

Chamber music is generally played without a conductor; orchestral or symphonic music has someone out front waving a baton.

EXCEPTION ALERT: Aaron Cassidy's string quartet - whoever has the part of least difficulty conducts the rest of the ensemble. The work is written in 4/4, but doesn't have a single discernible beat in it.

QUALIFIER: not actually interested in poking holes in generalizations, I just thought that that was nifty, even if the quartet isn't my cup of tea

[secondwind]

EXCEPTION ALERT: Aaron Cassidy's string quartet - whoever has the part of least difficulty conducts the rest of the ensemble. The work is written in 4/4, but doesn't have a single discernible beat in it.

QUALIFIER: not actually interested in poking holes in generalizations, I just thought that that was nifty, even if the quartet isn't my cup of tea

That sounds hard!  Is there a warning?  Not for the timid?

[Dana]

      No warning, but there ought to be - I took a look at the sheet music, and there is very little that even the most practiced musicians would recognize. There's a lot of unconventional playing involved - as in players bowing the backs of their instruments, drawing their bows up and down the fingerboard rather than across it, players bowing on the scroll, players crunching their bow-hairs against the instruments, etc. It's the definition of esoteric music.

[Opus106]

      No warning, but there ought to be - I took a look at the sheet music, and there is very little that even the most practiced musicians would recognize. There's a lot of unconventional playing involved - as in players bowing the backs of their instruments, drawing their bows up and down the fingerboard rather than across it, players bowing on the scroll, players crunching their bow-hairs against the instruments, etc. It's the definition of esoteric music.

Esotericism. Nothing more.

[karlhenning]

Carter's Mosaic (scored for soloist and seven accompanying players) I have seen conducted, both live and on DVD.

One or another of his quartets was famous (back when I was doing my doctorate) for 'requiring' that the players wear headphones to listen to a click track.  I suppose those may be 'training wheels' and that as quartets learn the music better, they can just play . . . .

[Dana]

Esotericism. Nothing more.

I tend to agree - check out the new thread

[DFO]

I've about a thousend CDs of chamber, and no more that 60
symphonic. So, to me the choice is obvious.

[Opus106]

Voted chamber while being in an elated mood listening to Mozart's Eb piano quartet.

[karlhenning]

Ah, VUI . . . .