In classical music , a string sextet is a composition written for six string instruments , or a group of six musicians who perform such a composition. Most string sextets have been written for an ensemble consisting of two violins , two violas , and two cellos .
Example ensemble layout
Among the earliest works in this form are the nine string sextets Op. 23 by Luigi Boccherini , written in 1776. Other notable string sextets include the String Sextets Op. 18 and 36 by Brahms, Dvořák's Op. 48 , Tchaikovsky Souvenir de Florence Verklärte Nacht Erich Wolfgang Korngold Op. 10, Erwin Schulhoff 's String Sextet of 1924, and Charles Wuorinen 's String Sextet of 1989.
More unusual combinations for a string sextet:
three violins, viola and two cellos: Ferdinand David (1810–1873), op. 38, Gaetano Brunetti (1744–1798), op. 1, Eugene Goossens (1893–1962), op. 37[1]
three violins, two violas and cello: Jan Brandts Buys (1868–1933), op. 40[2]
two violins, two violas, cello, double bass: Ignaz Pleyel (1757–1831) B.271, and others[3]
two violins, viola, two cellos, double bass: including works by Auguste Franchomme (1808–1884) and Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński (1807–1867)[4]
Luigi Boccherini (1743–1805) String Sextets, Op. 23 (1776)Alexander Borodin (1833–1887) String Sextet in D minor (2 movements) (1860/61)Hakon Børresen (1876–1954) Sextet in G major, Op. 5 (1901)Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
Frank Bridge (1879–1941) String Sextet (1906–1912) (27')Karl Davydov (1838–1889) Sextet, Op. 35 (1880) dedicated to Leopold AuerIgnacy Feliks Dobrzyński (1807–67) Sextet in E-flat major, Op.39 (1845) (for 2 violins, viola, 2 cellos & bass)Ernő Dohnányi (1877–1960) String Sextet in B-flat major (1893, revised 1898) (27')Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) String Sextet in A major, Op. 48, B. 80 (31')Iván Erőd (1936–2019)
Serenade for string sextet, Op. 45 (1983)
2nd String Sextet, Op. 68 (1996) Eduard Franck (1817–1893)
String Sextet No. 1 in E-flat, Op. 41 (1882)
String Sextet No. 2 in D major, Op. 50 (1894) Niels Gade (1871–1890) Sextet in E-flat major, Op. 44 (1865)Louis Glass (1864–1936) Sextet in G major, Op. 15 (1893)Reinhold Glière (1875–1956)
Sextet No. 1 in C minor (1898)
String Sextet No. 2 in B minor, Op. 7 (1904)
String Sextet No. 3 in C major, Op. 11 (1904) Heinrich Hofmann (1842–1902) Sextet Op. 25 (1874)Joseph Holbrooke (1878–1958) Sextet in D, Op. 43 (1924)Vincent d'Indy (1851–1931) String Sextet in B-flat major, Op. 92 (1927)Mauricio Kagel (1931–2008) String Sextet (1953, rev. 1957)Hans von Koessler (1853–1926) Sextet in F minor (1902)Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897–1957) String Sextet in D major, Op. 10 (1917) (33')Arnold Krug (1849–1904) Sextet in D major, Op. 68Max Lewandowsky (1874–1906) Sextet, Op. 5 (1904)
Bohuslav Martinů (1890–1959) String Sextet, H. 224 Paris, 1932 (15-16')Mihály Mosonyi (1815–1870) String Sextet in C minor (32')Per August Ölander (1824–1886) String Sextet (1876?)Walter Piston (1894–1976) String Sextet (1964) (18')Joachim Raff (1822–1882) Sextet in G minor, Op. 178 (1872)Max Reger (1873–1916) Sextet in F major, Op. 118 (1910)Friedhelm Rentzsch (born 1955) String Sextet (1981) (15')
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908) String Sextet in A major (30')Paul Rosenbloom (born 1952) String Sextet (1978) (30')Anton Rubinstein (1829–1894) Sextet in D major, Op. 97Peter Schickele (born 1935) String Sextet (1990) (26')Arnold Schoenberg (1874–1951) Verklärte Nacht Transfigured Night ), Op. 4 (1899) (29')Erwin Schulhoff (1894–1942) String Sextet (1924) (21')Salvatore Sciarrino (born 1947) Sestetto (2003) (22')Louis Spohr (1784–1859) String Sextet in C major, Op. 140 (1848) (24')Richard Strauss (1864–1949) from the Opera Capriccio Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) Souvenir de Florence Graham Waterhouse (born 1962) String Sextet op. 1 (1979–2013)Nicolai von Wilm [ de ] Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (1876–1948) Sextet in C minor (1894-5)Charles Wuorinen (1938–2020) String Sextet (1989)
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians ed. S. Sadie (London: Macmillan, 1980)
Naxos Music Library (www.NaxosMusicLibrary.com) 
