Mozart once pronounced the Quintet for piano and wind instruments his favourite among all his works. It’s easy to see why, as his innate love and skill in writing for woodwind find unsullied expression here, in a score that is roughly contemporary with a number of the piano concertos that not only made his name in Vienna but also transformed the keyboard concerto genre into a vehicle for true dramatic expression.

Ensemble Dialoghi perform K452 on period instruments, which provide a wonderful, juicy sound right from the opening E flat chord. The piano initially comes as a disappointment, though: this one is based on a Walter fortepiano from around 1800 but, at its first entry, doesn’t appear to have the Beethovenian heft one might hope for. It’s a little too tinkly, not helped by seemingly being miked a touch more distantly than the winds. Get past the slow introduction, however, and pianist Cristina Esclapez demonstrates that there’s plenty more grunt to the sound once the left hand travels down the keyboard. It all develops into a lovely performance of this lovable work.

Beethoven’s thicker piano-writing brings the instrument into closer focus in the youthful quintet he based so closely on Mozart’s. The piano also demonstrates its beautiful, veiled tone in quieter music – try a couple of minutes into the slow movement. All the same, the woodwinds are the winners, which may be just the way Mozart and Beethoven planned it. This music rarely fails to raise a smile and the cheeky album artwork will give you a chuckle too.