Musica da Camera, chamber music (Italian). The term came into use about the beginning of the seventeenth century.
Chrotta (Latin), Crwth (British), probably the oldest of European stringed instruments. Historically it is found mentioned so far back as the year 609. The word chrotta means literally “a bulging box.” The rebec was the same as the crwth, or nearly so. The geige is a like instrument.
Kit (French Pochette), a small violin which was carried in the pocket; used by teachers of dancing.
Early Instrumental Music. Brass instruments in the very early times were not used for musical purposes, but only as an accompaniment to military and other such affairs. At festivals and weddings of the middle ages stringed instruments came into use, and here we have the beginnings of instrumental music. The earliest traces of the use of violin-like instruments is found about the ninth century.
Baryton, an instrument of the violoncello type. Haydn wrote much for the instrument, which was played by his patron, Prince Esterhazy.
Chanterelle, the highest string on instruments of the violin family. Usually associated with the E string of the violin.
Concerto da Camera, chamber concerto. The title was introduced by Torelli, about 1686.
The String Quartett. The instruments which form this combination, viz.: the two violins, viola, and violoncello, are, as to their construction, the result of a slow development of probably 1000 years, the fully-developed violin dating from about the end of the fifteenth century. Music for the string quartett came into vogue about the middle of the eighteenth century. Earlier than this such music usually took the form of the sonata a tre, viz.: two violins and bass.
Arpeggione, an instrument after the kind of the gamba (a small ’cello). First made in Vienna, about the year 1823. Schubert wrote a sonata for this instrument.
Bassett, the old German name for the violoncello.