The history of the string trio differed from that of comparable chamber music genres after Beethoven because the great Romantic composers—Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Brahms—did not write works for this instrumentation. Thus, it was left to Max Reger to compose the most significant Romantic string trios. This occurred only after the turn of the century, at the very edge of late Romanticism, in what Reger himself described as a "Wagnerian-infused musical atmosphere, rich in chromaticism and enharmonics." "Thickness," as the composer himself admitted, was a defining characteristic of his chamber music, which emerged from this spirit of the age. However, in two groups of works—the two flute serenades and the two string trios, which he grouped together as Opera 77 and 141—Reger allowed himself a respite from his own ambition. These are works of a new simplicity, connected to the Mozart revival after 1900 and the growing interest in folk songs.