You might well assume that the name ‘Kuijken’ would mean this is a period-instrument account of Schubert’s mighty Quintet. But no: two generations of that remarkable musical dynasty opt for modern instruments, joined by first cellist Michel Boulanger. The first thing to say is that there’s no sense of four plus one that can afflict some line-ups (the Takács and Ralph Kirshbaum, for instance). The approach in this new recording is inevitably and refreshingly period-inflected. The slow movement, for instance, is strikingly sparing in its vibrato, the sustained chords of second violin, viola and first cello unflinching in their plainness. Their speed proves much more sustainable than the Diotima/Gastinel reading – a blot on that otherwise fascinating landscape. This new version is a world away from the Pavel Haas, who are somewhat slower in this Adagio but who hypnotically lead you onwards through Schubert’s vast structure. When it comes to the tumultuous F minor section the PHQ find a raw agony that is matched by few – certainly the Kuijken are lower-voltage here. The resignation of the coda is beautifully judged, though, with the individual instruments held in perfect balance.

The Kuijken pace the opening movement very naturally and the second theme, with its warmly duetting cellists, is just one instance of the quality of their musicianship. There’s a tremendous sense of Schubert’s desolation in this most undesolate of keys. The Kuijken’s finale is more downtrodden than most yet it’s all of a piece with their approach as a whole, in which resignation plays a major part. Perhaps I would have liked more to have been made of the contrasting Viennese-tinged theme; but here, as throughout, they reveal the music’s emotional ambiguity most convincingly and it makes for a draining but enriching 53 minutes. If the PHQ’s vision is too rich for your tastes, then this more ascetic view might well appeal and the very naturally balanced recording is another plus.