This was the most exciting live string quartet performance I can recall in recent times.

Firstly, the presentation by these four young men from Berlin (Florian Willeitner, Daniel Stoll, Sander Stuart and Leonard Disselhorst) redefines the format for such events with a blend of musical rethinking and canny self-marketing.

There are no music stands – they perform from memory. Applause between movements of a classical piece is encouraged and the music is introduced with easy good humour.

Vision String Quartet also compose, perform and record albums of music in other genres, drawing on popular dance, pop and folk influences, and, more importantly, its performance quality is at a consistently exalted level.

Vision String Quartet, Hobart Town Hall. Photo © Charlie Hardy

Ernest Bloch’s brief post Romantic Prelude, B. 63 (1925) immediately demonstrated this group’s extraordinary musical unity and fabulous tone; the velvety rich viola presented the principal melody.

The highlight of the concert was the incredible performance of Bartók’s String Quartet No. 4, Sz. 91 – the work a five-movement ‘arch’ structure with the central Non troppo lento acting as the keystone. Disselhorst’s cello solo was a memorable moment here.

This was flanked by two...