It is such a privilege, and always special, to hear a musical ensemble who have worked closely together for years. That is the case with the Goldner String Quartet, a group formed in 1995 that still retains its founding members: Dene Olding and Dimity Hall (violins), Irina Morozova (viola), and Julian Smiles (cello).

As Smiles told us in an introductory speech, an early piece in their repertoire was the Shostakovich Piano Quintet, which they first played with pianist Kathryn Selby 33 years ago. We heard that great work again tonight. This concert was the Sydney leg of the Goldner Quartet’s farewell tour. If so, they are going out on a high.

Goldner String Quartet. Photo supplied

The Quartet and Ms Selby are very well known to Australian audiences, having toured and recorded for decades. I can’t describe their music-making any better than a former Limelight reviewer did, writing of the Goldners: “This quartet has a harmonious mellow tone which can suddenly unleash immense power.”

That power was not needed in the first item, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major (arranged for piano and string quartet by the composer himself), but...