It's difficult to imagine anyone who would not warm now to this deeply Romantic work and its equally ardent predecessor, especially in performances as affectionate and musicianly as these. …these players, long familiar with the works, project complete understanding and warmth of feeling.

The Nash take a… traditional approach, emphasising the dark hues of the opening of the First Quartet, pianist Ian Brown making much of the bell-like sonorities of the bass. They are particularly effective in the richly coloured slow movements and bring out the earthiness of Brahms's textures to good effect.

These are terrific, clear-sighted yet impassioned performances of two compelling chamber works, given by a first-rate team of players. In the opening two movements of the G minor piano quartet, composed in 1861, there’s a beautiful control of pace and stress, the flavour slightly restrained, though there is certainly plenty of fire in the unrelenting, brilliant gypsy music of the exuberant finale. The C minor quartet, completed in 1874, speaks of darker matter, and was first thought of when Brahms was guiltily preoccupied with thoughts of Clara Schumann. This is an appositely fiery reading.