Review: Fibonacci Quartet at Queens’ College Chapel, Cambridge

The Fibonacci Quartet, an award-winning foursome comprising violinists Kryštof Kohout and Luna De Mol, Elliot Kempton on viola and Findlay Spence on cello, performed in the beautiful setting of Queens’ College Chapel on Thursday, 17 July, as part of Cambridge Summer Music.

The first piece of the evening was by Helen Grime, a 40-something Scottish composer of contemporary classical music.

Her String Quartet No 1 was delivered with real gusto by the four talented musicians, but personally I didn’t much care for it, finding it rather tuneless.

I much preferred the second piece, String Quartet No 2, ‘Intimate Letters’, by Czech composer Leoš Janáček (1854-1928), which contained more memorable melodies among its four movements.

Again, the musicians delivered a blistering performance and it was clear due to the expressions on their faces and the sweat pouring from their brows that they were giving it their all.

After the interval, it was the turn of another Czech composer, Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884).

Quartet member Kryštof Kohout introduced the piece - String Quartet in E minor, ‘From my Life’ - noting that he is from the same region of the Czech Republic as Smetana and that this music is therefore “very close to my heart”.

The piece was divided into four movements - Allegro vivo appassionato, Allegro moderato à la Polka, Largo sostenuto and Vivace -and was thoroughly enjoyable as a listening experience.

The Fibonacci Quartet are one of Europe’s leading young string quartets.

They are the only ensemble to win both first and audience prizes at the Premio Paolo Borciani International String Quartet competition in Italy, and are a resident ensemble at the Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia in Madrid with Günter Pichler and at the Dutch String Quartet Academy with Marc Danel.

They frequently perform in association with ProQuartet in Paris.

For more on the Quartet, visit fibonacciquartet.com.