Work: String Quartet no. 42 in C major, Op.54 no.2, Hob III:57

The Italian brought two beautiful period instrument clarinets to Wigmore Hall for the perfect pairing of clarinet quintets by Mozart and Brahms. 

The classy Elias String Quartet brighten the morning with enjoyable Haydn and Mendelssohn, but Britten doesn't sit quite right. 

In what would turn out to be a concert of two very distinct halves, the Elias Quartet impressed in the cosy confines of Wigmore Hall. After a full ‘daily grind’, arriving at this cocoon of a hall – where outside noise is absent, save for the occasional underground rumble – felt like a real treat. Here was a chance to sink into some cosy chamber music to wash over the listener – or maybe not.