String quartet members - who sits where?

Question

Hi! When a string quartet performs as the members sit in a half-circle, it looks like that they are usually arranged as 1st violin-2nd violin-cello-viola, going clockwise. (and yet sometimes it seems that they are arranged as 1st violin-2nd violin-viola-cello) Does the seat arrangement HAVE TO BE this way? Any reason why?

(details are added to make the question more specific) Even though I have seen players are arranged as 1st violin-2nd violin-viola-cello, most of time the arrangement is 1st violin-2nd violin-cello-viola, which makes the cello as the third from "the left side". Is this a must-obey rule?

Answer 1

As a violist I have sat both inside and outside. There is not a hard and fast rule to the seating arrangements. Usually it has to do with sound. Out of the three instruments the viola is the weakest acoustically and will sometimes be covered by the cello if seated on the inside so they switch (orchestras sometimes do this as well). You also have to factor in the hall, the players and the music as to what sounds the best.

Answer 2

I have always known them sit 1st violin - 2nd violin - viola - cello. Why it should be thus, I really don't know, other than the 1st violin is usually seen as taking the lead and can easily have eye-contact with the others. That is also the reason for the semi-circular arrangement - it enables the plays to see each other and give each other cues. It would not be practicable for them to sit in a line, for example, or indeed with some behind the others.

Answer 3

I think it has to do with grouping the instruments due to their range, tone and such. I guess arranging them is this order lets you hear the instruments at their full potential, sound wise.

Answer 4

done it both ways ... with the same group of people sometimes it was because which one of us handled the gig and sometimes it was because of the space we had to play in