The six Quadri for three melody instruments and continuo that Telemann published in 1730 – but whose successful republication in Paris six years later prompted him to make an eight-month visit to that city – together with the six more that he published in 1738 as the Nouveaux Quatuors have a strong claim to be the most perfect chamber music of the Baroque era. Collectively known now as the ‘Paris’ Quartets, these 12 gems are varied, attractive, skilfully written and endlessly engaging, but although they are popular on concert programmes, complete recordings of them are surprisingly few considering they need only take up two CDs. The appearance, then, of an album of the Quadri labelled as ‘Paris Quartets, Vol 1’ is certainly to be welcomed. The London Handel Players are experienced hands, and look a good bet for an enjoyable trip with Telemann round the three principal Baroque instrumental forms – the Quadri are made up of two concertos, two sonatas and two suites.

The LHP have undergone some personnel changes in recent years but one of their most dependable joys remains the flute-playing of Rachel Brown – a light and dainty rivulet running in and out of every corner of the music. She has an easy agility, too, for instance in parts of the G major Concerto and the A major Sonata. The line-up here is flute, violin and viola da gamba, with a cello joining the harpsichord on the continuo bass, and as ever in a wind-and-string combination it is hard to stop your ear from following the wind line, but in any case Adrian Butterfield on violin and Gavin Kibble on gamba do not in their solos quite match Brown for poise or singing presence.

Not that these aren’t the stylish performances one would expect, with many good moments: the sweetness and sotto voce beauty of the A major Sonata’s slow movements, nicely judged use of silence in the Affettuoso of the D minor Concerto, the lightly trodden Réjouissance of the B minor Suite and the swinging E minor Gigue are among them. But there are also times when collective punch is underwhelming, expression seems timid or conversational playfulness lacking. Overall, there is more consistency to be had from the precise and elegant Ensemble Sonnerie (Virgin/Erato, 3/92, 11/94) or the richly projected Florilegium (Channel Classics, 9/04, 4/06).