First, the sound for all you audiophiles/SACD lovers. Its very, very good in many respects, typical BIS. The stereo soundstage is very natural, - the instruments are presented as in live performance, as a semi-circle and the recording spreads them enough to hear all the interplay but not so far apart that it feels too "big" for a domestic listening room. It's really well judged in that regard. Its also a very clean and quiet recording, - microphones very well positioned - not too close, not too far away.

Now to the mujsic. The first quintet is an early work and the second a quite late one. They are both striking works, full of contrasting moods. The first is the more lyrical of the two, with a "typical" Mendelssohnian scherzo and a very contrapuntal finale. Its debt to dear old Ludwig is obvious. The second quintet is starker and more dramatic and marks the "late" Mendelssohn's return to the emotional intensity of his younger works, certainly compared to the relative calm of other late chamber and piano works.

The key words in all this are lyrical, contrasting and dramatic.

The performances catch some of each of these qualities but not enough. The MSQ itself is sure in ensemble and phrasing, with some very well judged tempi (try the slow movement of the first quintet, which seems especially "right"). They are as accomplished as you'd expect from a Juilliard trained ensemble boasting Robert Mann as a guest. However, as in many Juilliard Quartet recordings, the performance is very up-front. It lacks the subtlety, variation, depth and warmth that would make it first rank.

There's also far too much special pleading about what is a fairly obvious debt to Beethoven. We already know that Mendelssohn could be a powerful, romantic composer rather than just the amiable Victorian gentleman he used to be seen as. We know he was under Beethoven's spell as a young man. However, he was a more complex romantic than the MSQ give him credit for. Their performance is all about the power of the writing and not at all about its beauty and subtelty. For too much of the time, you get tempestuousness without relief.

True drama requires contrast, some tragedy, some comedy, some pathos, some joy. There is insufficient contrast here to give us any more than a one-dimensional Mendelssohn.

You only need to listen to the Raphael Ensemble's marvellous recording of these two pieces on Hyperion to instantly hear "more" of Mendelssohn. And Hyperion's recording matches that performance with warmth, depth and an even more natural tone than the BIS.

The BIS recording, in fact, is perfectly attuned to the MSQ's performance, - it's terrific but monochromatic. Which influences the other the most, - the in your face performance or the expert but dry recording, is a chicken and egg question i can't answer.