A few years ago ABC listeners chose Schubert’s ‘Trout’ quintet as their favourite chamber music work, and second in their top 100 came his String Quintet. On a personal note it was the first chamber music work I bought back in the day of long playing vinyls, an old 1950s mono recording of the Amadeus Quartet with cellist William Pleeth, which I almost wore out.

Richard Tognetti, performing in ACO StudioCast ‘Schubert’s String Quintet’. Image supplied.

Since then I have heard numerous live and recorded versions of what many believe to be the pinnacle of chamber music composition – Beethoven’s late quartets notwithstanding – but few have come close, either technically or artistically, to an emotionally charged concert by the Australian Chamber Orchestra earlier this year.

Led by Richard Tognetti, with Helena Rathbone’s second violin fitting like a much-loved glove and wonderful playing from violist Stefanie Farrands and the twin cellos of Timo-Veikko Valve and Melissa Barnard, this was one of those performances that live long in the memory, made all the more special because it marked the ACO’s return to the live stage – albeit...