The Pro Arte Quartet's first London appearance in 1925 prompted The Times to declare, 'One has never heard it surpassed, and rarely equalled, in volume and beauty of tone, in accuracy of intonation and in perfection of balance between the parts' – and that could well be the verdict on these sets. The musicians' tempos invariably seem just right and their phrasing has an inner life that's extraordinarily potent. Alphonse Onnou and Laurent Halleux were superbly matched, and Halleux often led in their early days. Such virtuosity as the quartet exhibits is effortless and totally lacking in ostentation. Though the actual sound is dated – the string tone is wanting in bloom and freshness – the ear soon adjusts; but these transfers might have made a little more space between movements.