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"), but occasionally a
double bass. The form was standard in 17th century Italy and can be seen as early as 1607 in
Claudio Monteverdi's opera,
L'Orfeo. Most famous of the cello quintets is
Franz Schubert's
Quintet in C major.
Antonín Dvorák's
Quintet Op. 77 uses a double bass, and Mozart's famous
Eine kleine Nachtmusik may be performed with this instrumentation (the double bass being optional). Alternative additions include clarinet or piano (see
clarinet quintet,
piano quintet); and other closely related
chamber music genres include the string quartet (much more common), the
string trio, and the
string sextet.