String quintet in 17th century Italy and can be seen as early as 1607 in Claudio Monteverdi's opera, "L'Orfeo". It can also be applied to the standard five-part orchestral string section: first violins, second violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. String quintet A string quintet is a musical composition for five string players. As an extension to the string quartet (two violins, a viola, and a cello), a string quintet includes a fifth string instrument, usually a second viola (a so-called "viola quintet") or a second cello (a "cello quintet"), or occasionally a double bass. Notable examples of classic "viola quintets", in
Walden String Quartet the United States. The quartet remained there until it disbanded in the late 1970s. In 1949, the quartet was selected by the civil affairs division of the U.S. war department to tour Austria and Germany, as well as Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris, and finally London, where they performed Quartet No.2 by Wallingford Riegger and Charles Ives's Second String Quartet. The group premiered many 20th Century works including Elliott Carter's String Quartet No. 1, which was dedicated to them. Walden String Quartet The Walden String Quartet was a chamber music ensemble formed in 1934 by members of the Cleveland Orchestra. It was