The focus of the Emersons' three nights at the QEH was Brahms, though his predecessors also featured, and guest players joined in works written for slightly larger forces. Indeed, the addition of Paul Meyer for Brahms's Clarinet Quintet in the second concert seemed to energise the ensemble just as violist Paul Neubauer and cellist Colin Carr did for the Second String Sextet on the final evening. In both instances, the playing was more vivid and imaginative than anything the Emersons managed on their own. Unusually, all the musicians played seated for the sextet; this seemed to increase concentration and communication within the group. Maybe the Emersons need to think about sitting down more often.

They may also need to reconsider their apparent desire to democratise the creative process when a little more leadership might galvanise proceedings. Quartet playing may be the most collaborative of musical activities, but decisions still have to be made. The position of first violin was here divided between Eugene Drucker and Philip Setzer, but it is obvious that Setzer is the more commanding player. His natural authority made Brahms's Second and Third Quartets more coherent than Mozart's Hunt Quartet, which Drucker led. Yet even Setzer seemed to hang back from a style of playing that might make him first among equals, even though a good deal of the group's repertoire, notably their Schubert item, the Rosamunde Quartet, just happens to be written that way.

Even so, coordination and tone were generally impressive. What was too often missing was a strong sense of the music's identity. Bland would be too strong a criticism, but under-characterised would not.