These are fresh and
exciting performances. If one looks
back at those two great Czech groups
of the recent past and characterises
Wihan and Kasík’s performance
of the Dvorak Op. 81 with that of the
(new) Vlach Quartet and Ivan Klánský
on Naxos (recently released and which
I’m also reviewing) I’d say that the
Wihan take the direction of the Janáček
Quartet whilst the Vlach veer more to
the Smetana. The Wihan/Kasík approach
is intensely animated and fleet in the
opening movement, rippling piano figuration
and winningly feminine sounding violin
solos adding a fresh air feel. The folk
sections are characterised with
real gusto and though they bind the
incidents together they never do so
thoughtlessly. They are brisk, not brusque
and never seem rushed. Tension is naturally
generated and they manage to propel
a youthful animation throughout the
span of the work, with a particularly
galvanic end to the opening movement.
In the Dumka second movement we again
hear deliciously sprung rhythm, pizzicato
band accompaniment and, praise be, some
superbly sly bass pointing from pianist
Kasík. It’s ardent as well –
and funny. A sparky-verdant Furiant
is followed by a well and strongly etched
finale (they tend to paint things more
viscerally than do the more patrician
Vlach) where their accents tend to be
rather more incisive than the older
group’s as well. So this is a fresh-as-paint
reading, animated, youthful, big-hearted
and passionate.
I liked their Schumann
as well. They are precise over note
values whilst bringing some effusive
phrasing to bear on the more lyrical
moments of this brillante opening
movement. As we have seen they have
a freshness of approach that is immediately
appealing, qualities they demonstrate
strongly in the second movement. And
in the Scherzo it’s noticeable how they
don’t try to over characterise and don’t
use too much collective bow pressure.
This leads to no loss of direction and
there are plenty of opportunities for
whimsical voicings; the second trio,
the one Mendelssohn suggested Schumann
add, works especially well. Strong accents
from all five musicians animate the
finale as does a well played fugal section
– the playing here is not at all leonine,
rather it’s cultured and musically balanced
and makes a winning effect. So a strong
welcome to a nicely annotated and warmly
recorded brace of quintets from a genuinely
and musically exciting source.
Jonathan Woolf
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Martin Kasík (piano) 
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