The Australian Haydn Ensemble continues its “pocket symphonies” quest, bringing its audiences stripped down arrangements of great Classical works, only this time it gives a double helping with septet versions of Mozart’s Symphony No. 35 Haffner and Beethoven’s Fourth.

Mozart, unlike Haydn, never made the trip to London but thanks to Venetian composer and performer Giambattista Cimador his symphonies became known there. The Italian was shocked that the musicians of the King’s Theatre refused to play them as they were considered “too difficult”.

So Cimador arranged six of the symphonies, including the Haffner, as septets for strings and flute and it is this version that AHE director Skye McIntosh has chosen to close the first half of this latest tour.

The Australian Haydn Ensemble: Beethoven’s Fourth. Photo © Oliver Miller

The scene is set, however, by Luigi Boccherini’s gorgeous String Quintet in A minor, Op. 25 No. 6, with Pippa MacMillan’s double bass taking the second cello part alongside cellist Daniel Yeadon.

There’s an elegance and operatic feel to this composer’s music, often with a Spanish flourish as he spent much of his career in Madrid, and Haydn’s strong influence is always apparent.

This...