24 January 2010

Wihan Quartet - Complete Beethoven String Quartets III

The Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury

The Wihan String Quartet presented the third concert in a series devoted to all sixteen string quartets by Beethoven. The group is firmly rooted in the great tradition of Czech string playing, which includes a wonderful, rich sound from the viola. Violinists Leos Cepcky and Jan Schulmeister, viola player Jiri Zigmund and cellist Ales Kasprik have a remarkable capacity for ensemble playing. There is an awe-inspiring sense of unity in their dynamics, the playing of challenging music at what seemed break-neck speed in the finale of Quartet O127 in E flat major and the beautifully expressive quality of the slow movements.

The programme, as in each of this series, featured one work from the three important phases of the composer’s life. Believed to be Beethoven’s first composition in this medium, Opus 18 no3 in D major offers a glimpse of the miraculous development which occurs in Beethoven’s life. The outer movements, the allegro and the finale, have an earthy vitality which the Wihan's played to perfection. By contrast, the slow movement was a meditative, deeply spiritual moment which dies away quietly, another fore taste of the profound music which characterised Beethoven’s later work. The final work was the string quartet Opus 127, first of the last five quartets. This was a superb conclusion to the concert. The Wihans played with great authority and confidence, handling the many changes of key with ease and bringing a fine range of sonorities to the work, especially the lengthy slow movement in which Beethoven uses the four instruments in an amazing range of combinations. This was a superb concert - the next in the series is on Sunday 7th February at The Maidment Hall, Shrewsbury School.

Andrew Petch

Last Updated : 01/02/2010