salon music

American  

noun

1. music of a simple, agreeable, frequently sentimental character, played usually by a small orchestra.

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salon music British  

noun

1. derogatory light classical music intended esp for domestic entertaining

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Etymology

Origin of salon music

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

As your friendly neighborhood Salon music critic, I enjoy the opportunity to share my takes on the cultural achievements of our time.

From Salon

It’s easy to be charmed by this piece, which begins with impishly jazzy spurts and hints of sardonic Parisian salon music.

From New York Times

Practicing this style of French salon music, he would learn to press a key with constant energy, to linger with patience and release only after the next finger connected.

From Salon

And, as a concept, the evening could be criticized as an incomplete or misleading picture of ambient music, particularly for the implication that the more conventional French salon music was the main event rather than merely a relevant phenomenon.

From Washington Post

Thursday’s concert at the Riverside Church proved that even in our time, there are those who write salon music of such ingratiating docility that their pieces might plausibly be passed off as the work of a minor fin de siècle composer.

From New York Times