Stories

Abstract

The reputation of chamber music has been shaped by its representation in other art forms. Sound recording and radio broadcasting did much to disseminate repertoire to larger audiences, but also brought chamber-music listening back into the home and could be used to encourage engagement with repertoire. Scenes of music-making or listening to recordings have featured in novels, reflecting key themes about interpersonal relationships, politics, artistic engagement and experimentation, and social change. In films and television, chamber music has been used to reinforce historical settings, but also to indicate a character’s state of mind.