Mozart’s five violin concertos stand at the threshold of his maturity: works of theatrical instinct and lyrical generosity, written during his Salzburg years in the mid 1770s. Already, they show a composer thinking operatically – in dialogue, character and colour.

Partnered by the ever fresh London Mozart Players and conductor Jonathan Bloxham, Benjamin Baker brings to these masterpieces a combination of clarity, poise and alert responsiveness. The performances are shaped from within the ensemble, giving ear to the concertos’ conversational spark: sharply profiled woodwind lines gleam, tuttis speak with purpose; through it all the solo violin emerges as first among equals.

The set is crowned by the expansive Concertone in C, with Yura Lee, Olivier Stankiewicz and Kate Gould stepping into Mozart’s richly woven concertante textures.