Interesting the different available approaches to Op 106, among them the Prague Quartet, alert, vibrant, very full-on, The Lindsays and the Pavel Haas Quartet, who are not far behind them. The Vogler Quartet are more emphatic on their new release, even a little literal at times, and rather less sweet in terms of tonal projection. Their sonorous way with the wonderful Adagio more approximates late Beethoven, a not unreasonable route to take given the music’s profound mood, whereas their Molto vivace third movement lilts along nicely, and the finale has plenty of fizz. The Voglers offer a level of gravitas that few quartets grant this still-underrated music.

The Ragazze Quartet on the other hand favour a lighter touch than either, with keen inflections, luminous textures (especially in the first movement) and a consistent sense of mobility. In their hands the Adagio feels anxious, its fervid climaxes brought to full heat without boiling over – just. Their Molto vivace is rather more urgent than the Voglers’, their finale equally vital. Their biggest strength is an added quota of spontaneity, which keeps you consistently engaged. And there are the Erwin Schulhoff fill-ups, especially the quarter-hour First Quartet with its deeply mysterious finale, a mix of ethereal chord structures, rocketing crescendos, eerie sul ponticellos and a hypnotic, slow-burning march rhythm (specifically at the close of the piece). Schulhoff’s gnomic and mostly playful Jazz Sketches carry less emotional weight but at least edge us away from the programme in a buoyant mood. The playing throughout is full of character.

The Voglers tail Op 106 with five lyrical Cypresses, beautifully played, but their Beethovenian approach really comes into its own in Op 105. The first movement’s arguments are taut and windblown, not unlike those of the Seventh Symphony, and the Voglers chart them with impressive authority. Quartet No 4 rages wild securely among Wagnerian terrains.

I still stand by the Pavel Haas Quartet in Op 106 (paired with the American Quartet) but for a coupling of the two late quartets the Vogler Quartet are impressive in their gritty, intensely dramatic way and the performances augur well for the rest of their cycle, a fair rival for the top-rating Prague and Panocha cycles (DG and Supraphon respectively). But as a one-off, innovative all-Czech programme, the Ragazze Quartet’s Channel Classics CD is mightily impressive, too.