Gone are the days when recordings of Mendelssohn quartets were a rarity. Nearly every month, it seems, brings an addition to the catalogue, but for anyone who’s still a Mendelssohn quartet novice, the Henschel’s latest disc makes a good place to start, bringing together an amazing early work and a magnificent product of his maturity. The Henschel priority is expression; these players are concerned above all with the eloquence of Mendelssohn’s phrases, and with getting us to feel the force of the frequent markings of con fuoco, agitato, and cantabile. There’s less concern with a smooth finish – not that the sound is rough, but one is aware of the bite of horsehair on strings.

There are places, I feel, where the performance isn’t delicate enough: the Presto section of Op 13’s third movement is exciting, but the sound is very robust for music that never rises above piano. The previous movement is Adagio non lento, and the Alban Berg Quartet seem to find the ideal tempo and style; by comparison the Henschel are a touch too heavy and solemn. Elsewhere the choice of tempo is entirely persuasive – Op 44 No 3’s finale, which can seem disappointingly empty after the intensity of the first three movements, is a true Molto allegro con fuoco, yet played with a lightness that suggests a kinship with the finale of the Violin Concerto.

Performances of character and individuality, then; not the only way to play Mendelssohn, but an approach that uncovers essential features of his style and personality.