This performance doesn’t attempt to sound gratuitously beautiful, but digs into the tragic substance of the music, and the players aren’t afraid to bring flexibility to the pulse, so there’s always an urgency of momentum…the overall concept is fresh and disturbing…the delightful ‘Intermezzo’, also with an allegro interlude, displays the poise which is one of this group’s strongest suits.

Through their use of wide-ranging dynamics, the discreet use of rubato, and impeccable intonation and detail, they are able to convey the dramatic intensity of the fine D minor work’s first movement … an impressive CD.

It is excitingly difficult to attune the ear to their unique sound, and the process of doing so allows listeners to accustom themselves to a strangely eerie sound world that is as rich and varied in colour as any ensemble chasing a warmer, more romantic identity. Every harmony is heightened, every voice within the beautifully blended corporate whole given a more distinctive edge ... the performance of the Mendelssohn...brings out with crystal clarity its Beethovenian influences and is as electric as it is elegant.

This young period-instrument group are well named. Both performances are remarkable for extreme dynamic range … an arresting disc.

The group’s unadorned sound is a shock to the ears of the best, most arresting kind. The disc offers a fascinating return to well-known works.

The historically concerned players of Alina Ibragimova’s Chiaroscuro Quartet bring the works closer together than you might expect, handling the Mendelssohn in a way that’s more tonally austere than usual, the Mozart in a way that’s more personal and romantic. Common to both is the deep consideration to which the music has been subjected, and the players’ willingness to embrace unorthodox outcomes.