18 April 2010

Finzi Quartet

Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury

Review of concert by Finzi Quartet replacing scheduled performance by Wihan Quartet - who were grounded in Prague.

Volcanic ash had a surprising impact on Shrewsbury's music life, for the Wihan Quartet, scheduled to deliver the 5th of their 6 concerts of Beethoven's string quartets, were grounded in Prague.  Meanwhile, the Finzi Quartet, due to play in Spain, were unable to leave this country.

Quick thinking made it possible for the Finzis to replace the Wihan players. The Finzi Quartet: Sara Wolstenholme and Natalie Dick, violins, Ruth Gibson, viola and cellist Lydia Shelley - are a young, immensely talented group boasting an impressive CV.

They played quartets by Haydn, Schubert and Debussy to a surprised but appreciative audience. Haydn's Quartet in D, Op. 20, No 4 opened the concert. This is a work which swings between rusticity and the sophistication of Haydn's later quartets. The Finzis made a slow start to this work. When playing in the upper register, their tonal control was less than secure but this was overcome by the end of the work.

Schubert's mysterious Quartettsatz in C minor brought out the best in the musicians. This strange work alternates between moments of terrifying brooding darkness and soaring, Schubertian lyricism. The viola had the rich, velvety sound of the instrument at its warmest, making this a performance to remember.

Debussy's String Quartet in G minor is clearly close to the collective heart of these musicians. The brilliant vivacity of the pizzicato strings in the second movement, the warmth of the individual voices in the third section, marked Andantino, contributed to a mature, sensitive performance of a masterpiece. The Finzi Quartet is destined to become a household name in the music world. I look forward to hearing them again, just as I anticipate the next concert by the Wihan Quartet on Sunday May 2nd at Concord College.

Andrew Petch

Last Updated : 19/04/2010