Claire shares this review of the latest West Wight Arts Association concert. Ed
Following the last two impeccable concerts from much- loved returning artists, it was time for West Wight Arts Association to welcome some newcomers to Freshwater Memorial Hall on Saturday evening, namely the Fibonacci string quartet.
Befitting performance
With their youthful enthusiasm and seemingly endless energy, these award-winning musicians opened the concert with Haydn’s “ Sunrise “ quartet, opus 76, instantly transporting the audience away from the gloomy weather outside and into a happy world of beautifully crafted, yet light hearted playing, totally befitting Haydn’s style of composition.
Dynamic range
An interesting introduction from violinist Krystof Kohout preceded the second work of the evening, Smetana’s quartet in Eminor. Krystof explained that the composer wrote this piece as an attempt to look back over his life, and here the players adopted a more contemplative style throughout the four movements, but equally with passion, joy and deep emotion as and when required.
The dynamic range that they were able to muster in order to illustrate Smetana’s thoughts should be particularly mentioned as truly outstanding.
Rising to the challenge
The mighty Beethoven quartet, op 131, took up the whole of the second half of the concert. Cellist Findlay Spence described it as a “Journey” for its players, given that all seven movements are played without pause. Written after Beethoven had become profoundly deaf, the music makes huge demands of the musicians in terms of dynamic contrasts, emotional cohesion as a quartet and physical energy, to name but a few.
The Fibonacci quartet rose to all these challenges as an outstanding group of players whose emotional connections as an ensemble was nigh-on perfect. We look forward to their return visit in April 2026 with great anticipation.
