More than a hundred years ago small get-togethers and domestic recitals were garnished with jewels from the classical repertoire, foxtrots, waltzes, tangos, medleys, and opera and operetta arrangements for small groups of instruments. “Salon music” of this  sort was  extremely popular. In the early twentieth century it moved into the concert  hall, luxury resorts,  and places of entertainment. Today the salon has vanished and the belle époque  and  fin de siècle are things of the past, but salon music is witnessing a  renaissance.<br>
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Small ensembles are mushrooming to savour this tuneful music and present it to a large and appreciative audience. This edition for Melody I (voice or violin), Melody II (violin or flute), Piano, and Bass (or cello), with  chordal  notation for  guitar, offers timelessly beautiful  nineteenth-century melodies such as  Salut  d´amour  or the Barcarole from Tales of Hoffmann,  combined with hits from the early twentieth century.<br>
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The Editor<br>
Bertold  Breig is a pianist who teaches in Frankfurt and arranges music for salon ensemble. He has also edited the volume of “Coffee House Music” for the  Combocom  series.<br>