This week on the show, the Ether Game Brain Trust is keeping things just among friends. That's right, we're looking at all chamber music, in a show we're calling "Hausmusik."

Did you know...

• Ludwig van Beethoven wrote his great late string quartet in A minor, No. 15 when he was recovering from an illness. The third movement was written out of thanks to God for his recovery.
• Chamber music for amateurs took off with Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach's Sonaten für Kenner und Liebhaber, or Sonatas for Connoisseurs and Amateurs. These pieces were printed for the public instead of being reserved for the court.
• Frederic Chopin (and other composers) performed his chamber pieces in the chambers of the upper class, known as salons. Many early waltzes and polonaises were meant for salon performances, not the dance hall.
• The second string quartet by Alexander Borodin was used as the basis for songs from the 1950s musical Kismet, including the song "Baubles, Bangles, and Beads."
• The Pierrot Ensemble is a popular type of chamber ensemble developed in the 20th century, and comprising a flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano. It was first used as the accompaniment for Arnold Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire (hence the name), but many other composers have written for the ensemble.
• "House Music" (not Hausmusik), on the other hand, is a type of electronic dance music, popularized in Chicago in the 1980s, and now performed by groups like Daft Punk!

See the full playlist below:

And don't forget to check out our Hausmusik Podcast for more trivia about salons!

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