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
Quintet for Piano and Winds (Beethoven) transcription of the Op. 16 quintet as a string quartet which they designated as the composers Op. 75. Quintet for Piano and Winds (Beethoven) Quintet in E-flat for Piano and Winds, Op. 16, was written by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1796. The quintet is scored for piano, oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon. It is alleged to be inspired by Mozart's Quintet, K. 452 (1784), which has the same scoring and is also in E-flat. It is in three movements: The performance takes around 23-27 minutes. Beethoven subsequently transcribed the Op. 16 quintet as a quartet for piano and string trio