A pleasant enough coupling, though not exactly helped by the somewhat cavernous acoustic of the Böserndorfer-Saal at the Vienna Mozarthaus. Nor am I entirely convinced by some of the tempo changes: the shift back to the start of the Septet’s first movement’s exposition, for example, which speeds disconcertingly. Similarly after the Trio in the Minuet where, again, upping the pace has a slightly uncomfortable effect. The Scherzo’s Trio is spoiled by a stodgy bass-line accompaniment but much of the closing Presto, taken at a sensible pace, works nicely.

As to rivals, the Gaudier Ensemble on Hyperion do a nice job and the useful coupling is the rather less familiar Sextet in E flat. There’s also a classy Decca coupling of the Septet with Mendelssohn’s Octet featuring the Vienna Octet. As for Ulf-Guido Schäfer’s octet arrangement of Dvořák’s loveable Czech Suite, that comes off rather better than the Beethoven does. A sensation of tonal fibre suits the music, especially in the opening ‘Pastorale’ and the ‘Furiant’ finale, but if you fancy the piece as Dvořák scored it, then I reckon Dorati’s Decca recording (currently out on an all-Dvořák double-pack) should fit the bill perfectly. Gramola’s recorded balance is basically OK, save that the woodwinds are sometimes too prominent.