The Secret Life of the Orchestra: Strings

The Orchestra is a mysterious beast. Developed over hundreds of years from instruments with diverse origins; assembling massive numbers of musicians playing instruments that require many years of practise to master; capable of changes in sound and colour that range from a whisper to a jet engine...

When it all comes together, the results can be startling, but how does it all work?  And where did it all come from?

Karl Steven concludes his four-part investigation of the parts of the orchestra with the enormous string family, unlocking the mystery of the heart of the orchestra and learning how violinists came to be associated with the devil.