It seems to be the year for Mendelssohn trios: the fine Florestan recording set the level, followed by the recent outstanding Fischer/Gilad/Müller-Schott version and now this one from members of the Nash Ensemble. If you found the previous two too high on adrenalin and you prefer your Mendelssohn a little more sedate, you’ll probably find much to enjoy in the new Trio No 1. The three players are, of course, consummate chamber musicians and they bring out subtleties of texture in a very pleasing manner: the opening cello theme is beautifully moulded, the finale has a delightful sense of mischief to it. But the inner movements are both too ponderous for my taste – turn to the Florestan or Fischer et al and the Nash sound merely polite.

The Second Trio provokes deeper doubts. In the recent Fischer recording, the opening became a thing of portent and mystery: a work of real power; in the Nash’s hands, it simply sounds like the poor relation of the First Trio. And even without turning to the comparisons, the third-movement Scherzo sounds tame. The gondola-song slow movement (the one place where Fischer et al misjudge the tempo: the Florestan are spot on here) is more convincing but overall this interpretation doesn’t convince. The charming Variations concertantes fill out this generous disc and give Paul Watkins a chance to show off his glowing tone. He finds plenty to luxuriate in and the more virtuoso moments are effortlessly done. If I prefer Steven Isserlis, with the lighter tone of a fortepiano, it’s a matter of taste rather than quality. But for the trios, stick to either the Florestan or the Fischer versions.