The Takács Quartet and Marc-André Hamelin capture the freshness and vitality of this youthful work to perfection, its outer movements and Scherzo projected here with all the necessary exhilaration and rhythmic vigour…The performance [of the Second Piano Quintet] from Hamelin and the Takács is totally compelling, encapsulating a vast array of colours and textures…The Takács gives a superbly committed reading [of the Second Quartet] which once again maximises the music’s textural and dynamic variety. A treasurable disc.

Takács Quartet plays with fire, precision, and an almost telepathic unanimity of purpose, while Marc-André Hamelin again proves to be the perfect partner. In terms of transcended virtuosity, finesse, and unerring musicality these performances are unlikely to be approached—much less surpassed—any time soon, making this one of the clear front runners for Chamber Album of the Year.

He has an unbeatable ability to convey and inspire belief in the value of the music he is performing, especially when that music is in need of special advocacy…Hamelin and the Takács bring a remarkable breadth of conception to bear, not just within each movement [of the Second] but across the entire work...They allow every passionate detail to come across yet preserve a sense of nobility and innate grace that I always associate with Dohnányi.

This First Quintet also has a debt to Brahms, brilliantly honoured here, and so much more – not least the lovely melody of the Adagio, beautifully given by violist Geraldine Walther. The movement climax is radiant and brilliantly recorded. The Second Quintet (1914) holds veiled moments of almost Mahlerian mystery, superbly done. Hamelin is commanding throughout. A revelation. Lovers of top-notch chamber music should not hesitate.