Alban Berg Quartet plays with Heinrich Schiff as the second cello. D. 956, op. posth. 163. 1st Movement, Allegro ma non troppo The work holds the distinction of being the only full-fledged string quintet in Schubert's vast oeuvre. It also stands out for its somewhat unconventional instrumentation, employing two cellos instead of the customary two violas. Most other string quintets follow the example of Mozart and call for an ensemble consisting of the four standard instruments of the string quartet (two violins, viola, and cello), plus a second viola. Schubert, like Luigi Boccherini before him, decided to replace the second viola with an additional cello, thereby enhancing the richness of the quintet texture's lower register. The Quintet was first performed in 1850 and published in 1853, 25 years after Schubert's death as Opus Posthume 163.