A 1789 playbill for a “professional concert” at Hanover Square in London announced a new set of quartets by Joseph Haydn.

The composer’s latest quartets, Op 54 and Op 55, three works apiece, were designed to satisfy the hungry demand for his chamber music across Europe.

With their virtuoso first violin parts, these are quartets primarily for professional performance and The London Haydn Quartet revel in their brilliance and originality.

The edgy sound of period instruments may not appeal to all, but the period ebullience of these performances surely will.