Vision String Quartet • Webern • Dvorak
On Sunday, July 6, 2025, I attended a concert by the Vision String Quartet at London’s Wigmore Hall. The program included two pieces plus an encore:
- Langsamer Satz, Anton Webern
- String Quartet in G, op. 106, Antonín Dvorak
- Encore: Copenhagen, written by the quartet
The concert was special for me on several fronts: first, the location. I’ve always wanted to visit the famous Wigmore Hall, after leafing through magazines about all the early music concerts that were germane to London in the early and mid-1990s. This is where you went to hear a lot of baroque music. Second, upon the entrance of this string quartet, I was intrigued by the absence of music stands and chairs. They played from memory, standing. And third, the repertoire got me outside of my comfort zone.
Langsamer Satz is among Webern’s tonal pieces. And throughout the short piece, the quartet seemed perfectly balanced and focused on the music and its intriguing traversal of harmony. I enjoyed this a lot. It also introduced me to the sound of the Wigmore Hall, which while is looks pretty rectangular, and therefore maybe not so acoustically interesting, wasn’t quite what I heard. The short stage is capped above by a small dome, and the overall hall shape is also curved. I am no physics expert, but damn! The hall sounds amazing. The instruments, like you’ve got the dial turned up at 5 or 6 on your hifi dial. Three dimensional. It was a treat to hear these masterful players in such a great hall, which they also praised.
Not being familiar with the Dvorak at all made the listen fun. Hearing the classical structures the composer used in each movement made anticipating the finish to each movement palpable. The piece has some Italian flavor to it in parts, and again, the playing from all four members was remarkably strong. The lead violinist, Florian Willeitner, seems the right choice to lead, with a sweet and sometimes strident tone, when needed. Daniel Stoll was a good match, especially as the two violins share licks in the Dvorak. Sander Stuart, on viola, could come out of the texture when needed without effort, and Leonard Disselhorst, on cello, seemed naturally gifted in his playing, especially coming out to play hard in their finale.
Their own finale piece, Copenhagen, was fun, modern, and a festive way to end a delicious sixty-five minutes of music. One of the most enjoyable aspects of my short time in London. I shall now be inspired to seek out more from the Vision String Quartet.
