The Sydney-based Australian Haydn Ensemble has specialised in bringing a fresh approach to familiar big orchestral works through chamber arrangements, including septet treatments of Beethoven’s Seventh and Fifth symphonies and Mozart’s Jupiter for quintet.

But for their latest performance they have added instruments by commissioning piano teacher and gamelan expert Vi King Lim to arrange some of Schubert’s songs for string quartet accompaniment. These carefully curated 10 pieces, superbly sung by regular collaborator baritone David Greco, were interspersed by Mendelssohn’s Four Pieces for String Quartet, which were published posthumously and were written over a period of 20 years, including two of them in his final year when he was grieving over the death of his sister Fanny.

David Greco and Australian Hadyn Ensemble at the State Library of NSW. Photo © Oliver Miller

Death, in fact, was very much the theme of this hour-long recital which was given in the colourful Paintings Galleries of the State Library, presided over by a large portrait of Sir Joseph Banks behind the players.

Greco’s younger brother, violinist Matthew, joined AHE Artistic Director Skye McIntosh, violist Karina Schmidt and cellist Daniel Yeadon for this top-drawer program...