string quartet


noun

a musical composition, usually in three or four movements, for four stringed instruments, typically two violins, viola, and cello.
a first violinist, second violinist, violist, and cellist forming a group for the performance of string quartets and similar music.

Origin of string quartet

First recorded in 1870–75

Example sentences from the Web for string quartet

  • This fact has been the cause of many so-called transcriptions of orchestral or string-quartet music for the organ.

    Music: An Art and a Language |Walter Raymond Spalding

British Dictionary definitions for string quartet

string quartet

noun music

an instrumental ensemble consisting of two violins, one viola, and one cello
a piece of music written for such a group, usually having the form and commonest features of a sonata

Cultural definitions for string quartet

string quartet

A musical group that includes two violins, a viola, and a cello. The term also refers to a composition written for these four instruments. Many composers, notably Franz Josef Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven, have written string quartets.