They certainly play with precision and verve, with a nod towards period practice in their approach to Mozart, but also with an implication that ‘Mozart’s music must be completely alive and continue to evolve with us’…All very stimulating, no doubt – but difficult to discern precisely to what end.

At root, these are modern-instrument performances that digest the historical discoveries of our time and offer a full-bodied chamber presentation…These three performances are, in their own ways, individual, minutely considered and thus, perhaps inevitably, not to every taste…The ensemble sound, however, is one of the glories of this set. As chamber players and therefore soloists in their own rights, the contribution of each player is palpable.

This is the debut recording from the former viola-player of the Quatuor Ebène and his hand-picked chamber ensemble, and it’s tremendous – for my money, these are the most scintillating (and, where appropriate, joyous) accounts of the late symphonies since Sir Charles Mackerras’s recording with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra a decade ago. Energy-levels are high throughout, but nothing seems hard-driven, and Herzog’s background ensures that the inner parts receive plenty of tender loving care.