It makes an ideal coupling to have Brahms’s String Sextets, both charming works, on a single disc. It is striking that Brahms liked writing works in pairs, sometimes early and late, like the two piano concertos and the cello sonatas. The two clarinet sonatas go together, as do the Clarinet Quintet and Clarinet Trio, all composed for Richard Mühlfeld. Even the Violin Concerto and the Double Concerto might be regarded as counterparts.

So to the string sextets. Written some nine years apart (1830 and 1839), they both represent Brahms at his warmest and most relaxed. That is just how the Sine Nomine Quartet and colleagues play them. If that means that one lacks ensemble of pinpoint precision, that is hardly a fault when warmth and relaxation rarely go with electrically precise ensemble. ‘Sit back and enjoy yourself’ seems to be the message.

The two works come in reverse order on the disc, which brings the advantage that the G major Second Sextet’s wonderful Allegro non troppo opens with just the right mood, while the finale of the B flat First Sextet, marked Poco allegretto e grazioso, makes a joyous conclusion. It is striking that the performances regularly bring out the East European flavour, whether Hungarian or Czech in ‘dumka’ style, adding to the charm of the performances.