In orchestral works from the classical era, the bass and cello would typically play from the same part, labelled "Bassi". The role of the double bass section evolved considerably during the 19th century. The music for a string section is not necessarily written in five parts besides the variants discussed below, in classical orchestras the 'quintet' is often called a 'quartet', with basses and cellos playing together. In some regional orchestras, amateur orchestras and youth orchestras, the string sections may be relatively small, due to the challenges of finding enough string players.
During the modern era, some composers requested smaller string sections. 1800-1910), string sections were significantly enlarged to produce a louder, fuller string sound that could match the loudness of the large brass sections used in orchestral music from this period. 1720-1800) used (and is often played in the modern era with) smaller string sections. In general, music from the Baroque period (ca. The numbers can vary widely: Wagner in Die Walküre specifies 16-16-12-12-8 the band orchestra in Darius Milhaud's La création du monde is 1-1-0-1-1. The size of a string section may be expressed with a formula of the type (for example) 10-10-8-10-6, designating the number of first violins, second violins, violas, cellos, and basses. In some orchestras, some or all of the string sections may be placed on wooden risers, which are platforms that elevate the performers. There are not usually as many basses as cellos, so they are either in one row, or for a larger section, in two rows, with the second row behind the first. The basses are commonly arranged in an arc behind the cellos, either standing or sitting on high stools, usually with two players sharing a stand though occasionally, due to the large width of the instrument, it is found easier for each player to have their own stand. There are more variations of set-up with the double bass section, depending on the size of the section and the size of the stage. In cases where a page turn occurs during an essential musical part, modern performers may photocopy some of the music to enable the page turn to take place during a less important place in the music. The "inside" player typically turns the pages of the part, while the "outside" player continues playing. When the music calls for subdivision of the players the normal procedure for such divisi passages is that the "outside" player of the desk (the one closer to the audience) takes the upper part, the "inside" player the lower, but it is also possible to divide by alternating desks, the favored method in threefold divisi.
In a typical stage set-up, the first and second violins, violas and cellos are seated by twos, a pair of performers sharing a stand being called a "desk", Each principal (or section leader) is usually on the "outside" of the first desk, that is, closest to the audience. In some cases, due to space constraints (as with an opera pit orchestra) or other issues, a different layout may be used. The seating may also be specified by the composer, as in Béla Bartók's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, which uses antiphonal string sections, one on each side of the stage. If space or numbers are limited, cellos and basses can be put in the middle, violins and violas on the left (thus facing the audience) and winds to the right this is the usual arrangement in orchestra pits. In the 19th century it was standard to have the first and second violins on opposite sides (violin I, cello, viola, violin II), rendering obvious the crossing of their parts in, for example, the opening of the finale to Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony. The principal string players sit at the front of their section, closest to the conductor and on the row of performers which is closest to the audience. The first violins are led by the concertmaster (leader in the UK) each of the other string sections also has a principal player (principal second violin, principal viola, principal cello and principal bass) who play the orchestral solos for the section, lead entrances and, in some cases, determine the bowings for the section (the concertmaster/leader may set the bowings for all strings, or just for the upper strings). The most common seating arrangement in the 2000s is with first violins, second violins, violas and cello sections arrayed clockwise around the conductor, with basses behind the cellos on the right. First violins are labelled "Vln I" second violins are "Vln II" violas are "Vla" and double basses (in German " Kontrabässe") are "Kb". One possible seating arrangement for an orchestra.