the Allegri Quartet is still alive and well, and the first thing that needs to be said about the performances is how likeable they are: the playing has all the intelligence, energy and expressive freedom that are needed to convey the wilfully original character of Beethoven's early String Quartets.

Consistently, the ensemble is admirably crisp, with fine control of dynamic shading , and with rhythms crisply sprung...like the interpretations themselves [the recording] offers an undistracting view of each work, simply letting one enjoy the freshness of Beethoven in youthful high spirits. I look forward to more discs in the series.

The Allegri play intensely, but also gracefully; they know when to give the music space...Their tempo for No 3’s andante con moto is actually slower than No 5’s andante cantabile in the same time signature, but I don’t blame them for relishing its beauties. All three finales are brilliant. This is an exhilarating disc.

The current line-up plays with unforced elegance and cleanness of detail, avoiding heavy gesture in favour of nimble energy.

Fantastic music, winningly performed and warmly recorded...I like this group’s unsentimental, vibrato-free approach to Beethoven’s slow movements – the Andante Cantabile of no 5 is immaculately sustained at a flowing tempo