László Fenyő & Philharmonia Quartet Berlin A Zeneakadémia saját szervezésű programja

“Consistent, pure intonation”; “a dense and yet multifaceted sound”; “a thorough exploration and unfolding of the layers of the composition”. These are just some of the comments of a critic a few years ago. And the truth is that Germany-based cellist László Fenyő really does handle – indeed dominate – the instrument in a most dazzling manner. He first caught the attention of the world in 2004 with his virtuoso and suggestive performance style when coming first at the International Pablo Casals Violoncello Competition in Kronberg. The Philharmonia Quartet Berlin were formed over 20 years ago from members of one of the world’s best ensembles, the Berlin Philharmonic, and they went on to gain a strong reputation in their own right among chamber formations. Their repertoire is simply vast; they take on both the classics and works of 20th century composers with a sure hand and huge energy.
The programme could equally have been titled ‘The drama and pathos of passing’. Beethoven’s late iconic string quartet is the shocking expression of the mental agony associated with death, in a similar vein to the contemporary German composer Wolfgang Rihm’s Grave, and which expressively presents alternation between furious action and silent resignation. The grandiose Schubert masterpiece, the String Quintet in C major, was created barely two months before the death of the composer, making it perhaps the most touching musical elegy to life’s end.