This question no doubt belongs, strictly speaking, to the science of Acoustics; but of all the forms of the art, chamber music is the one most affected by intonation, hence these few words on a deeply interesting matter, which may some day become one of the practical considerations in connection with music. N.K. _May, 1904._ Contents. CHAPTER I. THE BEGINNINGS OF CHAMBER MUSIC. PAGE How Chamber Music began—Early Chamber Music compositions—Musical position of England—Purcell—J.S. Bach—Great violin makers—Haydn and Mozart—Corelli and the compass of the violin—William Shield and 5/4 time 1 CHAPTER II. CHAMBER MUSIC INSTITUTIONS AND CONCERTS. John Banister’s concerts—Thomas Britton, the musical coalman—Britton’s concerts—“Music Meetings”—Oxford Music School—_Pepys’s Diary_—_Evelyn’s Diary_—Frederick the Great—Bach and the Emperor—The Emperor Frederick’s compositions—Dando concerts—John Ella and The Musical Union—Analytical programmes and position of platform—Quartett Association—Dannreuther’s Musical Evenings—Sir Charles Hallé’s recitals—Monday Popular Concerts—Joachim—Various chamber music institutions—Japanese chamber music 12 CHAPTER III. HAYDN, P.E. BACH, DITTERSDORF, HANDEL. J.S. Bach—Joseph Haydn—Philipp E. Bach—Dittersdorf—Early quartetts of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven—Silence as an effect in music—Haydn’s quartetts—Haydn’s Kaiser Quartett—Haydn’s other chamber music—Handel 37 CHAPTER IV. MOZART. Mozart’s C major Quartett—Mozart’s string quartetts—The genius of Mozart—Mozart’s other chamber music—Wagner on Mozart—Mozart’s letter to his father 59 CHAPTER V. BEETHOVEN. Beethoven as democrat—Rhythmic similarities—Beethoven’s first and last compositions—Musical humour—The distinction in Beethoven’s chamber music 71 CHAPTER VI. SCHUBERT, MENDELSSOHN, SCHUMANN, AND SPOHR. Schubert as song-writer—Schubert’s chamber music—Mendelssohn— Mendelssohn’s position in England—Mendelssohn’s character— Mendelssohn’s chamber music—Schumann—Schumann as absolute musician—The E♭ Piano Quintett—Piano trios—Spohr’s opinion of Beethoven’s work—Characteristics of his compositions 82 CHAPTER VII. BRAHMS AND DVOŘÁK.