Hereford String Orchestra Spring Concert 2010

A string orchestra is an

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

consisting solely of a string section made up of the bowed strings used in Western Classical music. The instruments of such an orchestra are most often the following: the

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

, which is divided into first and second violin players (each usually playing different parts), the

viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

, the

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

, and usually, but not always, the

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

. String orchestras can be of chamber orchestra size ranging from between 12 (4 first violins, 3 second violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos and 1 bass = 12) and 21 musicians (6 first violins, 5 second violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos and 2 double basses= 21) sometimes performing without a conductor. It could also consist of the entire string section of a large symphony orchestra which could have 60 musicians (16 first violins, 14 second violins, 12 violas, 10 cellos and 8 double basses = 60; ''

Gurre-Lieder ' is a large cantata for five vocal soloists, narrator, chorus and large orchestra, composed by Arnold Schoenberg, on poems by the Danish novelist Jens Peter Jacobsen (translated from Danish to German by ). The title means "songs of Gurre", ref ...

'' calls for 84: 20.20.16.16.12).

Repertoire

The repertoire includes several works by

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

(including '' Eine kleine Nachtmusik''),

William Boyce William Boyce may refer to: *William Boyce (composer) (1711–1779), English-born composer and Master of the King's Musick * William Binnington Boyce (1804–1889), English-born philologist and clergyman, active in Australia *William Waters Boyce ( ...

(his eight symphonies are for strings only), and

Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...

which dispense with the

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

basso continuo Basso continuo parts, almost universal in the Baroque era (1600–1750), provided the harmonic structure of the music by supplying a bassline and a chord progression. The phrase is often shortened to continuo, and the instrumentalists playing th ...

. Some of these works are problematic when it comes to deciding whether they are for orchestra or

string quartet The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinists ...

. Particularly in Haydn's early works it is argued that the inversions of harmony from the occasional crossings of the bass and viola line imply a double bass; the question is not settled, however. Important 20th century works have been written for string orchestra by Bartók ( Divertimento for String Orchestra),

Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century clas ...

(''

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...

''),

Witold Lutosławski Witold Roman Lutosławski (; 25 January 1913 – 7 February 1994) was a Polish composer and conductor. Among the major composers of 20th-century classical music, he is "generally regarded as the most significant Polish composer since Szyman ...

(''

Musique funèbre ''Musique funèbre'' ( pl, Muzyka żałobna; ''Funereal Music'' or ''Music of Mourning'') is a composition for string orchestra by the Polish composer Witold Lutosławski, completed in 1958. History Lutosławski began composing ''Musique funèbre ...

''),

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

(''

Simple Symphony The ''Simple Symphony'', Op. 4, is a work for string orchestra or string quartet by Benjamin Britten. It was written between December 1933 and February 1934 in Lowestoft, using material that the composer had written as a young teenager, between 1 ...

'' and ''

Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge Variation or Variations may refer to: Science and mathematics * Variation (astronomy), any perturbation of the mean motion or orbit of a planet or satellite, particularly of the moon * Genetic variation, the difference in DNA among individual ...

''), Charles Wuorinen (''Grand Bamboula''), and

Malcolm Williamson Malcolm Benjamin Graham Christopher Williamson, (21 November 19312 March 2003) was an Australian composer. He was the Master of the Queen's Music from 1975 until his death. Biography Williamson was born in Sydney in 1931; his father was an A ...

( Symphony No. 7). Sir

Michael Tippett Sir Michael Kemp Tippett (2 January 1905 – 8 January 1998) was an English composer who rose to prominence during and immediately after the Second World War. In his lifetime he was sometimes ranked with his contemporary Benjamin Britten ...

wrote a '' Concerto for Double String Orchestra'' and Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote a ''Partita for Double String Orchestra''. Composers who have written a Serenade for string orchestra include

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...

, Dvořák,

Suk Suk or SUK may refer to: Places * Suk, Iran, a village in Bushehr Province * Suk Qazqan, a village in Markazi Province, Iran * Seh Suk, a village in Lorestan Province, Iran * Suk Samran District, a district of Ranong Province, Thailand * Santi S ...

and

Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sym ...

, in his youth, also wrote thirteen symphonies for string orchestra. Sometimes works originally written for string quartet, quintet, sextet etc. are arranged for string orchestra.

Samuel Barber Samuel Osmond Barber II (March 9, 1910 – January 23, 1981) was an American composer, pianist, conductor, baritone, and music educator, and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century. The music critic Donal Henahan said, "Proba ...

's ''

Adagio for Strings ''Adagio for Strings'' is a work by Samuel Barber, arguably his best known, arranged for string orchestra from the second movement of his String Quartet, Op. 11. Barber finished the arrangement in 1936, the same year that he wrote the quart ...

'',

Alban Berg Alban Maria Johannes Berg ( , ; 9 February 1885 – 24 December 1935) was an Austrian composer of the Second Viennese School. His compositional style combined Romantic lyricism with the twelve-tone technique. Although he left a relatively sma ...

's 3 Pieces from his ''Lyric Suite'',

Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (, ; ; 13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian-American composer, music theorist, teacher, writer, and painter. He is widely considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. He was as ...

's string sextet ''

Verklärte Nacht ''Verklärte Nacht'' (''Transfigured Night''), Op. 4, is a string sextet in one movement composed by Arnold Schoenberg in 1899. Composed in just three weeks, it is considered his earliest important work. It was inspired by Richard Dehmel's p ...

'' and String Quartet No. 2,

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...

's sextet ''

Souvenir de Florence The String Sextet in D minor "''Souvenir de Florence''", Op. 70, is a string sextet scored for 2 violins, 2 violas, and 2 cellos composed in the summer of 1890 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky dedicated the work to the St. Petersburg Chamb ...

'', John Corigliano's Second String Quartet and

Jean Sibelius Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and 20th-century classical music, early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest com ...

's '' Andante Festivo'' are examples. An optional timpani part is also added in the Sibelius piece. The work ''

Shaker Loops ''Shaker Loops'' is a 1978 composition by American composer John Adams, originally written for string septet. The original "modular" score, published by Associated Music Publisher, has since been withdrawn and replaced by a 1983 string orchestra ...

'' written in 1978 for septet then arranged in 1983 for string orchestra by the American composer

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...

has become a popular addition to the repertoire in recent times.

Graham Waterhouse Graham Waterhouse (born 2 November 1962) is an English composer and cellist who specializes in chamber music. He has composed a cello concerto, '' Three Pieces for Solo Cello'' and '' Variations for Cello Solo'' for his own instrument, and str ...

composed several works for string orchestra (''Sinfonietta''), also in combination with contrasting sounds as Great Highland Bagpipe ('' Chieftain's Salute'').

Works for string orchestra

*Giovanni Albini: ''Una teoria della prossimità'' (2006) *

Louis Andriessen Louis Joseph Andriessen (; 6 June 1939 – 1 July 2021) was a Dutch composer, pianist and academic teacher. Considered the most influential Dutch composer of his generation, he was a central proponent of The Hague school of composition. Although ...

: ''Symphony for Open Strings'' *

Lera Auerbach Lera Auerbach (russian: Лера Авербах, born Valeria Lvovna Averbakh, russian: Валерия Львовна Авербах; October 21, 1973) is a Soviet-born American classical composer and concert pianist.

: **String Symphony "Memoria de la Luz" (2013) **Serenade for a Melancholic Sea for violin, violoncello, piano and string orchestra (2002) ** Dialogues of Stabat Mater (after G.B. Pergolesi) for violin, viola, vibraphone and string orchestra (2005) * Maciej Bałenkowski: **Sinfonietta no. 1 "Time is ticking" for string orchestra (2013/2014) **Sinfonietta no. 2 "Polonia" - hommage à Wojciech Kilar for string orchestra (2017/2018) **"Farewell" for string orchestra (2016) *

Granville Bantock Sir Granville Ransome Bantock (7 August 186816 October 1946) was a British composer of classical music. Biography Granville Ransome Bantock was born in London. His father was an eminent Scottish surgeon.Hadden, J. Cuthbert, 1913, ''Modern Music ...

: ''Celtic Symphony'' for string orchestra and six harps *

: ''

'' *

Béla Bartók Béla Viktor János Bartók (; ; 25 March 1881 – 26 September 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as H ...

: Divertimento for String Orchestra **Romanian Dances for String Orchestra *

Mason Bates Mason Wesley Bates (born January 23, 1977) is a Grammy award-winning American composer of symphonic music and DJ of electronic dance music. He is the first composer-in-residence of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and he has also bee ...

: '' Icarian Rhapsody'' (1999) *

Jeremy Beck Jeremy Beck (born 1960) is an American composer who "knows the importance of embracing the past while also going his own way." The critic Mark Sebastian Jordan has said that "Beck was committed to tonality and a recognizable musical vernacular l ...

: ''Sinfonietta'' (2000) *

Alan Belkin Alan Belkin (born July 5, 1951) is a Canadians, Canadian composer, organist, pianist as well as a pedagogue. Early life Alan Belkin was born in Montreal. He began piano studies with Philip Cohen, then he studied organ with Dom André Laberge a ...

: ''Adagio Symphonique'' (2002) *

Luciano Berio Luciano Berio (24 October 1925 – 27 May 2003) was an Italian composer noted for his experimental work (in particular his 1968 composition ''Sinfonia'' and his series of virtuosic solo pieces titled '' Sequenza''), and for his pioneering work ...

: ''Notturno'' (1995) *

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

: '' Serenade for Solo Violin, Strings, Harp and Percussion after Plato's "Symposium"'' * Judith Bingham: ''The Hythe'' (2012) * Georges Bizet: ''Adagietto,'' L'Arlesienne Suite No. 1 (1872) *

Ernest Bloch Ernest Bloch (July 24, 1880 – July 15, 1959) was a Swiss-born American composer. Bloch was a preeminent artist in his day, and left a lasting legacy. He is recognized as one of the greatest Swiss composers in history. As well as producing music ...

: ''Concerto Grosso'' No. 2 *

Nimrod Borenstein Nimrod Borenstein ( he, נמרוד בורנשטיין; born in 1969) is a British-French-Israeli composer whose music is widely performed throughout Europe, the US, Canada, Australia and Japan. His works are becoming part of the repertoire of ma ...

**In the night opus 48 (2007) **In the morning opus 51 (2008) **Symphony for strings opus 68 (2014) **Suspended opus 69 (2014) **Yodit opus 82 (2018) *

Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 1925 – 5 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war Western classical music. Born in Mont ...

: Livre pour cordes *

Frank Bridge Frank Bridge (26 February 187910 January 1941) was an English composer, violist and conductor. Life Bridge was born in Brighton, the ninth child of William Henry Bridge (1845-1928), a violin teacher and variety theatre conductor, formerly a m ...

: ''Lament'' (1915) *

: ''

'' * Stephen Brown: **''The Carol Suite'' (1993) **''Sunrise Serenade'' (2001) **''On the Idle Hill of Summer'' (2002) *

John Cage John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading fi ...

: ''Twenty-Three'' (for violins, violas, and cellos) Additionally, many of Cage's indeterminate scores could be arranged for string orchestra. *

Carlos Chávez Carlos Antonio de Padua Chávez y Ramírez (13 June 1899 – 2 August 1978) was a Mexican composer, conductor, music theorist, educator, journalist, and founder and director of the Mexican Symphonic Orchestra. He was influenced by nativ ...

: Symphony No. 5 * Nigel Clarke: ''The Miraculous Violin'' *

Anna Clyne Anna Clyne (born 9 March 1980, in London) is an English composer, now resident in New York, US. She has worked in both acoustic music and electro-acoustic music. Biography Clyne began writing music as a child, completing her first composition a ...

: **'' Within Her Arms'' (2009) **'' Prince of Clouds'' (2012) *

Paul Creston Paul Creston (born Giuseppe Guttoveggio; October 10, 1906 – August 24, 1985) was an Italian American composer of classical music. Biography Born in New York City to Sicilian immigrants, Creston was self-taught as a composer. His work ten ...

: ''Gregorian Chant for String Orchestra'' (1936) *

Tansy Davies Tansy Davies (born 29 May 1973, Bristol) is an English composer of contemporary classical music. She won the BBC Young Composers' Competition in 1996 and has written works for ensembles such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Or ...

: ''Residuum'' * David Diamond: ''Rounds for String Orchestra'' (1944) *

Avner Dorman Avner Dorman (Hebrew: אבנר דורמן; born April 14, 1975 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is an Israeli-born composer, educator and conductor. Education Dorman holds a doctorate in music composition from the Juilliard School, where he studied as a C ...

: Concerto Grosso (2002–2003) * Andrew Douglass: Piece For Strings (''Flight To Tasman'') *

Antonín Dvořák Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( ; ; 8 September 1841 – 1 May 1904) was a Czechs, Czech composer. Dvořák frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravian traditional music, Moravia and his native Bohemia, following t ...

: Serenade for String Orchestra in E major, Op.22 * Edward Elgar: **'' Introduction and Allegro for Strings'' (1905) ** Serenade for Strings *Zoran Erić: ''Cartoon for Strings'' *

Irving Fine Irving Gifford Fine (December 3, 1914 – August 23, 1962) was an American composer. Fine's work assimilated neoclassical, romantic, and serial elements. Composer Virgil Thomson described Fine's "unusual melodic grace" while Aaron Copland noted ...

: ''Serious Song: A Lament for String Orchestra'' (1955) *

Gerald Finzi Gerald Raphael Finzi (14 July 1901 – 27 September 1956) was a British composer. Finzi is best known as a choral composer, but also wrote in other genres. Large-scale compositions by Finzi include the cantata '' Dies natalis'' for solo voice and ...

: Romance, Op. 11 (1928) *

Arthur Foote Arthur William Foote (March 5, 1853 in Salem, Massachusetts – April 8, 1937 in Boston, Massachusetts) was an American classical composer, and a member of the "Boston Six." The other five were George Whitefield Chadwick, Amy Beach, Edward Mac ...

: Suite in E major for String Orchestra, Op. 63 (1909) *

Alberto Ginastera Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (; April 11, 1916June 25, 1983) was an Argentinian composer of classical music. He is considered to be one of the most important 20th-century classical composers of the Americas. Biography Ginastera was born in Buen ...

: ''Concerto per corde'', Op. 33 (originally written for string quartet then arranged for string orchestra) *

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

: film score for ''The Hours'' (large string orchestra plus piano soloist) * Henryk Gorecki: Three Pieces in Old Style (1963) *

Edvard Grieg Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the foremost Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of ...

: ''

Holberg Suite The ''Holberg Suite'', Op. 40, more properly ''From Holberg's Time'' (Norwegian: ''Fra Holbergs tid''), subtitled "Suite in olden style" ( no, Suite i gammel stil, links=no, italics=no), is a suite of five movements based on eighteenth-century ...

'' (originally written for piano then arranged for string orchestra) *

Stefans Grové Stefans Grové (23 July 1922 – 29 May 2014) was a South African composer. Before his death the following assessment was made of him: "He is regarded by many as Africa's greatest living composer, possesses one of the most distinctive composit ...

: Elegy for Strings (1948) * Mark Gustavson: ''Hymn to the Vanished'' (2001) *

Karl Amadeus Hartmann Karl Amadeus Hartmann (2 August 1905 – 5 December 1963) was a German composer. Sometimes described as the greatest German symphonist of the 20th century, he is now largely overlooked, particularly in English-speaking countries. Life Born in ...

: Symphony No. 4 *

Victor Herbert Victor August Herbert (February 1, 1859 – May 26, 1924) was an American composer, cellist and conductor of English and Irish ancestry and German training. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and conductor, he is bes ...

: Serenade for Strings *

Alfred Hill Alfred Hill may refer to: * Alfred John Hill (1862–1927), British railway engineer * Alfred Hill (cricketer, born 1865) (1865–1936), English cricketer * Alfred Hill (politician) (1867–1945), British Member of Parliament for Leicester West 192 ...

: String Symphonies *

Gustav Holst Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite ''The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...

: **'' St Paul's Suite'' (1912) **''

Brook Green Suite Gustav Holst's ''Brook Green Suite'', H. 190, was written in 1933 for St Paul's Girls' School junior orchestra for strings and consists of 3 movements. Holst wrote the suite while in hospital in the year before he died. The intention was to crea ...

'' (1933) **'' A Moorside Suite'' (1928) *

Arthur Honegger Arthur Honegger (; 10 March 1892 – 27 November 1955) was a Swiss composer who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. A member of Les Six, his best known work is probably ''Antigone'', composed between 1924 and 1927 to ...

: Symphony No. 2 *

Alan Hovhaness Alan Hovhaness (; March 8, 1911 – June 21, 2000) was an American- Armenian composer. He was one of the most prolific 20th-century composers, with his official catalog comprising 67 numbered symphonies (surviving manuscripts indicate over 70) a ...

: Symphony No. 31 (1976–77) *

Ketil Hvoslef Ketil is a Norwegian masculine given name, and may refer to: * Ketil Askildt (1900-1978), Norwegian discus thrower * Ketil Bjørnstad (born 1952), Norwegian pianist * Ketil Flatnose (9th century), Norwegian hersir * Ketil Haugsand (21st century) ...

: Serenata for Strings * Charles Ives: ''The Call of the Mountains'' (arranged by Jonathan Dore from the String Quartet No. 2) *Stephen Jablonsky: ''String Thing'' (2018) A serenade in six movements **''The Old Man and the Sea'' (2018) **''Arirang'' (2008) *

Karl Jenkins Sir Karl William Pamp Jenkins (born 17 February 1944) is a Welsh multi-instrumentalist and composer. His best known works include the song " Adiemus" and the ''Adiemus'' album series; '' Palladio''; ''The Armed Man''; and his ''Requiem''. J ...

: ''Palladio'' (1996) *David Johnstone: more than 20 published works for string orchestra *

Paul Juon Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity * Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

: Five Pieces for String Orchestra, op.16 *

Vasily Kalinnikov Vasily Sergeyevich Kalinnikov (russian: Васи́лий Серге́евич Кали́нников; 13 January 1866 – 11 January 1901 ) was a Russian composer. His body of work consists of two symphonies, several additional orchestral wo ...

: Serenade for Strings in G minor * Mieczyslaw Karlowicz: Serenade for Strings Op. 2 (1897) *

Nigel Keay Nigel Keay (born 1955) is a New Zealand composer. He has been a freelance musician since 1983 working as a composer, violist, and violin teacher. Nigel Keay has held the following composer residencies: Mozart Fellowship, University of Otago 1986 ...

: Serenade for Strings *

Uuno Klami Uuno (Kalervo) Klami (20 September 1900, Virolahti – 29 May 1961, Virolahti) was a Finnish composer of the modern period. He is widely recognized as one of the most significant Finnish composers to emerge from the generation that followed ...

: Suite for String Orchestra (1937) * Sophie Lacaze: ** ''Y aparece el sol'' (2017) for flute, didgeridoo and string orchestra ** ''Immobilité sérieuse I'' (2013) for piano and string orchestra *

Kenneth Leighton Kenneth Leighton (2 October 1929 – 24 August 1988) was a British composer and pianist. His compositions include church and choral music, pieces for piano, organ, cello, oboe and other instruments, chamber music, concertos, ...

: ** Symphony for Strings, Op. 3 (1948-49) ** Concerto for String Orchestra, Op. 39 (1960-61) *

Elizabeth Maconchy Dame Elizabeth Violet Maconchy LeFanu (; 19 March 1907 – 11 November 1994) was an Irish-English composer. She is considered to be one of the finest composers Great Britain and Ireland have produced. Biography Elizabeth Violet Maconchy was b ...

: Symphony for Double String Orchestra (1952–53) * Gustav Mahler: Adagietto from Symphony No. 5. *

Gian Francesco Malipiero Gian Francesco Malipiero (; 18 March 1882 – 1 August 1973) was an Italian composer, musicologist, music teacher and editor. Life Early years Born in Venice into an aristocratic family, the grandson of the opera composer Francesco Malipiero, G ...

: Symphony No. 6 "Degli Archi" (1947) *

Andrew March Andrew March is an English composer (born 1973). He was the winner of the first-ever Masterprize International Composing Competition, Masterprize Composition Competition with his piece ''Marine — à travers les arbres''. Andrew studied compo ...

: Sanguis Venenatus (Tainted Blood) Elegy for Strings (200

* Bohuslav Martinů: '' Double Concerto for Two String Orchestras, Piano, and Timpani'' *

Nicholas Maw John Nicholas Maw (5 November 1935 – 19 May 2009) was a British composer. Among his works are the operas '' The Rising of the Moon'' (1970) and '' Sophie's Choice'' (2002). Biography Born in Grantham, Lincolnshire, Maw was the son of Clarence ...

: ''Life Studies'' *

Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sy ...

: ** 13 String Symphonies ** Concerto for Violin and Strings *

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

: ** Three Concertos for Piano and Strings in D major, G major and E major, K. 107 (1771 or 1765) ** Divertimento No. 1 for Strings in D major, K. 136/125a (1772) ** Divertimento No. 2 for Strings in B major, K. 137/125b (1772) ** Divertimento No. 3 for Strings in F major, K. 138/125c (1772) ** '' Eine kleine Nachtmusik'' (1787) * Lior Navok: ''Between Two Coasts'' *

Ștefan Niculescu Ștefan Niculescu (July 31, 1927 – January 22, 2008) was a Romanian people, Romanian composer. Niculescu was born in Moreni, Dâmbovița County, Dâmbovita. He was credited with introducing his own brand of heterophony, a technique based on ...

: ''Formants'' (1967), for 17 solo strings * Robert Paterson: **''Suite for String Orchestra'' (2011) **''I See You'' (for String Orchestra and Recording) (2015) *

Vincent Persichetti Vincent Ludwig Persichetti (June 6, 1915 – August 14, 1987) was an American composer, teacher, and pianist. An important musical educator and writer, he was known for his integration of various new ideas in musical composition into his own wo ...

: Symphony No. 5 * Allan Pettersson: **Concerto No. 1 (1949–50) **Concerto No. 2 (1956) **Concerto No. 3 (1956–57) * Ottorino Respighi: '' Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No. 3'' (1932) *

Carl Ruggles Carl Ruggles (born Charles Sprague Ruggles; March 11, 1876 – October 24, 1971) was an American composer, painter and teacher. His pieces employed "dissonant counterpoint", a term coined by fellow composer and musicologist Charles Seeger ...

: ''Portals'' *

Aulis Sallinen Aulis Sallinen (born 9 April 1935) is a Finnish contemporary classical music composer. His music has been variously described as "remorselessly harsh", a "beautifully crafted amalgam of several 20th-century styles", and "neo-romantic". Sallinen ...

: ''Aspects of the Funeral March of Hintriki Peltoniemi'' (originally written for string quartet then arranged for string orchestra) *

Esa-Pekka Salonen Esa-Pekka Salonen (; born 30 June 1958) is a Finnish orchestral conductor and composer. He is principal conductor and artistic advisor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, conductor laureate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and music di ...

: '' Stockholm Diary'' (2004) *

: ''

'' or ''Transfigured Night'' (1899) (originally written for string sextet then arranged for string orchestra) * Franz Schreker: Scherzo for String Orchestra (1900) **Intermezzo for String Orchestra (Opus 8, 1900) *

William Schuman William Howard Schuman (August 4, 1910February 15, 1992) was an American composer and arts administrator. Life Schuman was born into a Jewish family in Manhattan, New York City, son of Samuel and Rachel Schuman. He was named after the 27th U.S. ...

: Symphony No. 5 *

: '' Andante Festivo'' for strings and timpani *

Richard St. Clair Richard Collins St. Clair (born September 21, 1946) is an American composer, pedagogue, poet and pianist. Life History and Musical Career In the 17th c. St. Clairs (or Sinclairs) emigrated from the British Isles to New England as part of the ear ...

Symphony for String Orchestra *

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...

: '' Metamorphosen'' for 23 solo strings *

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the ...

: ** Concerto in D (1946) **''

Apollon Musagète ''Apollo'' (originally ''Apollon musagète'' and variously known as ''Apollo musagetes'', ''Apolo Musageta'', and ''Apollo, Leader of the Muses'') is a neoclassical ballet in two '' tableaux'' composed between 1927 and 1928 by Igor Stravinsky ...

'' (1927–1928), ballet for string orchestra * Josef Suk: Serenade for Strings, op. 6 (1892) *

William Susman William Joseph Susman (born August 29, 1960) is an American composer of concert and film music and a pianist. He has written orchestral and chamber music as well as documentary film scores. Music Susman's music is inspired by Afro-Cuban montuñ ...

: **''Zydeco Madness'' **''Angels of Light'' *

Tōru Takemitsu was a Japanese composer and writer on aesthetics and music theory. Largely self-taught, Takemitsu was admired for the subtle manipulation of instrumental and orchestral timbre. He is known for combining elements of oriental and occidental phil ...

: ''Requiem'' (1957) **"A Way a Lone II" (1981) *

: Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48 *Dimitri Tchesnokov: ''Réminiscence d'après la symphonie pour cordes'' *

: **Concerto for Double String Orchestra **''Corelli Fantasia'' **''Little Music for Strings'' *Robin Toan: ''dans la nuit'' (2006) *

Joan Trimble Joan Trimble (18 June 1915 – 6 August 2000) was an Irish composer and pianist. Education and career Trimble was born in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ireland. She studied piano with Annie Lord at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin, ...

: "Suite for Strings" (1951) * Peteris Vasks: **''Cantabile'' (1979) **''Musica Dolorosa'' (1984) * Ralph Vaughan Williams: **''

Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis ''Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis'', also known as the ''Tallis Fantasia'', is a one-movement work for string orchestra by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The theme is by the 16th-century English composer Thomas Tallis. The Fantasia was first perf ...

'' **''

Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus ''Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus'' is a work for harp and string orchestra by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The composition is based on the folk tune " Dives and Lazarus", one of the folk songs quoted in Vaughan Williams' '' English Folk Song Suit ...

'' **

Concerto Grosso The concerto grosso (; Italian language, Italian for ''big concert(o)'', plural ''concerti grossi'' ) is a form of baroque music in which the musical material is passed between a small group of soloists (the ''#Concertino, concertino'') and full orc ...

* Heitor Villa-Lobos: ''Bachianas Brasileiras No.9'' *

Carl Vine Carl Edward Vine, (born 8 October 1954) is an Australian composer of contemporary classical music. From 1975 he has worked as a freelance pianist and composer with a variety of theatre and dance companies, and ensembles. Vine's catalogue inclu ...

: ''Smith's Alchemy'' *

Claude Vivier Claude Vivier ( ; baptised as Claude Roger; 14 April 19487 March 1983) was a Canadian contemporary composer, pianist, poet and ethnomusicologist of Québécois origin. After studying with Karlheinz Stockhausen in Cologne, Vivier became an in ...

: '' Zipangu'' (1980) *

Julian Wagstaff Julian Wagstaff (born 1970) is a Scottish composer of classical music, musical theatre and opera. Born in Edinburgh, Wagstaff originally studied German language and politics, and graduated from the University of Reading in 1993. Wagstaff work ...

: ''Treptow'' for String Orchestra (2005) *

George Walker George Walker may refer to: Arts and letters * George Walker (chess player) (1803–1879), English chess player and writer *George Walker (composer) (1922–2018), American composer * George Walker (illustrator) (1781–1856), author of ''The Co ...

: ''

Lyric for Strings ''Lyric for Strings'' is a musical composition written by the American composer George Walker George Walker may refer to: Arts and letters * George Walker (chess player) (1803–1879), English chess player and writer *George Walker (composer) ( ...

'' (1946) *

William Walton Sir William Turner Walton (29 March 19028 March 1983) was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera. His best-known works include ''Façade'', the cantat ...

: Sonata for Strings * Robert Ward: ''Concertino for String Orchestra'' (originally written for string quartet then arranged for string orchestra) *

: **'' Celtic Voices and Hale Bopp'' (1995, 1997) **Sinfonietta (2002) *Anthony Watson: ''Prelude and Allegro for Strings'' (1960) *

: **''Epitaphs for Edith Sitwell'' (1966/72) **''Ode for Queen Elizabeth'' (1980) **''Lento for Strings'' (1985) *

Dag Wirén Dag Ivar Wirén (15 October 1905 – 19 April 1986) was a Swedish composer. Life Wirén was born at Striberg near Nora. His father had a roller blind factory, and there were various musical activities in the family home; he took piano lessons, ...

: ''Serenade for Strings'' *

John Woolrich John Woolrich ( ; born 1954 in Cirencester) is an English composer. Biography Woolrich has founded a group (the Composers Ensemble), a festival (Hoxton New Music Days), and has been composer in association with the Orchestra of St John's and th ...

: **''Blue Drowning'' (2005) **''It is Midnight Dr. Schweitzer'' **''To the Silver Bow'', double concerto for viola, double bass and strings (2014) **'' Ulysses Awakes'' * Charles Wuorinen: ''Grand Bamboula'' *

Iannis Xenakis Giannis Klearchou Xenakis (also spelled for professional purposes as Yannis or Iannis Xenakis; el, Γιάννης "Ιωάννης" Κλέαρχου Ξενάκης, ; 29 May 1922 – 4 February 2001) was a Romanian-born Greek-French avant-garde ...

: ''

Pithoprakta ''Pithoprakta'' (1955–56) is a piece by Iannis Xenakis for string orchestra (with 46 separate solo parts), two trombones, xylophone, and Woodblock (instrument), wood block, premièred by conductor Hermann Scherchen in Munich in March 1957. A typ ...

'' for 46 strings, 2 trombones, wood block and xylophone. * Takashi Yoshimatsu: ''Threnody to Toki'' for Piano and String Orchestra (1980) *

Đuro Živković Đuro Živković, also rendered as Djuro Zivkovic ( Serbian Cyrillic: Ђуро Живковић; born 1975), is a Serbian-Swedish composer and violinist. He has lived in Stockholm, Sweden, since 2000. Biography Živković was born in Belgrade ...

: **''Serenade'' (2002) **''PSALM XIII'' (2014) *

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich Ellen Taaffe Zwilich ( ; born April 30, 1939) is an American composer, the first female composer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Her early works are marked by atonal exploration, but by the late 1980s, she had shifted to a postmodernist, n ...

: **''Partita'' (Violin Concerto No. 2) for Violin and String Orchestra (2000) **''Commedia dell'arte'' (Violin Concerto No. 3) for Violin and String Orchestra (2012) **''Prologue and Variations'' (1983)

Instrumentation

Violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

(1,2) *

Viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

Cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

Double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

References

{{Authority control Types of musical groups Orchestras