STANDARDS are so high among young musicians that it almost goes without saying that the Aurea Quartet, all still in their twenties, are prodigiously talented.

They had second thoughts about programming John Cage and substituted Haydn, but kept to the previously-announced Tchaikovsky and Schubert.

They opened stylishly with Haydn’s "Emperor", Opus 76 No 3, ticking all the boxes. The adagio’s title tune shone through in all the voices, and the finale avoided brittleness by plumbing the unexpected drama of the minor key. So far, so good.

Tchaikovsky’s First String Quartet (1871) was the first of his works to enjoy wide popularity outside Russia. The Aureas were alive to the first movement’s tempo changes but varied their dynamic level little, sticking rigidly to a near-forte; its busy textures were less than clear. The finale was also relentless, though the dash for the tape was exciting. There was a matter-of-factness to the famous Andante that belied its origins as a folk-song.

In Schubert’s "Rosamunde" Quartet, the Aureas were a touch more soulful. But they are a top-down ensemble, much dependent on unyielding leader Philip Brett. They would do better to pay more heed to the consistently intelligent underlays of cellist Abby Hayward. Otherwise there was little Viennese, let alone Schubertian in their approach and the "Rosamunde" theme was more mechanical than magical. Technique isn’t everything.