String orchestra

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A string orchestra is an orchestra composed solely of bowed string instruments. These instruments are the violin, the viola, the violoncello and the double bass. String orchestras can be of chamber orchestra size ranging from between 12 and 21 musicians (6,5,4,4,2 = 21) sometimes performing without a conductor, or consist of the entire string section of a large symphony orchestra which could have 60 musicians (16,14,12,10,8 = 60). String orchestras often play classical music, and important 20th century works have been written for string orchestra by Béla Bartók (Divertimento), Stravinsky (Apollon Musagète), Witold Lutoslawski (Funeral Music) (Muzyka zalobna, 1958) and Benjamin Britten (Simple Symphony). Sir Michael Tippett wrote a Concerto for Double String Orchestra and Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote a Partita for Double String Orchestra. Composers that have written a "Serenade for Strings" for string orchestra include Tchaikovsky, Antonín Dvořák, and Elgar. Mendelssohn also wrote a number of symphonies for string orchestra. Sometimes works originally written for string quartet are arranged for string orchestra. Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, Alban Berg's 3 Pieces from his Lyric Suite, Arnold Schoenberg's Second String Quartet, John Corigliano's Second String Quartet and Jean Sibelius's Andante Festivo for string orchestra are examples, though a timpani is also added in the Sibelius piece. The work Shaker Loops written in 1978 for septet then arranged in 1983 for string orchestra by the American composer John Coolidge Adams has become a popular addition to the repertoire in recent times.

[edit] External links

• Art of the States String orchestra works for string orchestra by American composers