Wiktionary
alt. (context music English) A music group consisting solely of stringed instruments. n. (context music English) A music group consisting solely of stringed instruments.
WordNet
n. an orchestra playing only string instruments
Wikipedia
A string orchestra is an orchestra consisting solely of a string section. The instruments of such an orchestra are most often the following: the violin, which is divided into first and second violin players, the viola, the cello, and the double bass. String orchestras can be of chamber orchestra size ranging from between 12 (4.3.2.2.1 = 12) and 21 musicians (6.5.4.4.2 = 21) sometimes performing without a conductor, or consist of the entire string section of a large symphony orchestra which could have 60 musicians (16.14.12.10.8 = 60; Gurre-Lieder calls for 84: 20.20.16.16.12).
Film scores generally have quite varied string set-ups: for example, James Newton Howard's score for The Last Airbender featured 33 violins, 21 violas, 14 celli and 15 double basses, making it a total of 83 strings.
A twentieth-century development has been the reappearance of the concerto grosso pitting of soloists against the full ensemble. During the past eras of pop music, it also employed up to 65-piece string orchestras ( Two Tribes).
Usage examples of "string orchestra".
The string orchestra switched to drinking songs, and the whole KaiserpaviUon went into a gay roar of Du, du, liegst mir im Herren, Du, du, liegst mir im SinnByron cringed to hear it, and to recall that a full belly and a glass of beer had brought him to join German soldiers in this song, not six hours after he had escaped from burning Warsaw.
Julie turned to see the little string orchestra assembled on the other side of the small polished dance floor.
Somewhere within earshot of the drawing-room a string orchestra was playing, but luckily in a subdued manner, so that Hornblower was spared much of the irritation that he usually suffered when he was compelled to listen to music with his tone-deaf ear.
A string orchestra played from a stage just below the gravity pad while couples swayed to music that Brim barely understood.
He looked untouched by the lights, the haystacks of Easter lilies, the sounds of a string orchestra, the river of people flowing on and breaking into a delta when it reached the champagne.
A hidden string orchestra was playing the complicated Klatchian bhong music.
Snake mother voices like a high-pitched miniature string orchestra, braids responding.
Frank Schalopki's string orchestra plays in the background, and now and again Ida Van Cortland, the actress, puts in an appearance when she's in town.
The small string orchestra that played to one side could hardly be heard over the raucous noise of shouting miners crowded around at least fifteen tables.