How did Claude Debussy change the traditional role of string instruments in an orchestra?

Claude Debussy challenged the traditional 19th-century view that string instruments should be used primarily for lyrical expression. Instead, he introduced a new conception of string color, moving away from rigid orchestral departments toward an approach where individual instruments functioned almost like soloists in a chamber-music ensemble.1

Key examples of this shift include:
* The use of pizzicato in the Scherzo of his String Quartet (1893).1
* Symbolic writing for violins in La Mer, which utilized the instruments to evoke the imagery of rising storm waves.1

By undermining the conventional, rigid construction of the orchestra, Debussy treated instruments as tools for creating light and shadow, prioritizing a wide palette of timbre over traditional academic usage.12