In the period of the Renaissance and Baroque, all secular music was performed in a chamber of the nobleman's home-that's why it's called chamber music; only in the time of Beethoven and later were halls built specifically for public concerts.
In the period of the Renaissance and Baroque, especially in the 16th Century, all secular music was performed in a chamber of the nobleman's home-that's why it's called chamber music. Only in 17th Century did it come to mean either secular or religious music, and only in the time of Beethoven and later were halls built specifically for public concerts.