A slow introduction followed by a jaunty tune: Haydn revelled in the juxtaposition. It’s perhaps no coincidence that Beethoven does exactly the same thing in his G major Piano Trio, which appeared in 1795. He even gives the first movement a false ending, as did Haydn in his Symphony no 90, written seven years earlier.

But as played by the Phoenix Trio, it was obvious that this was Beethoven, not Haydn. This piano trio may be one of Beethoven’s first published works, but his stamp is present right from the opening bars. Having clearly marked the switch to humour, the Phoenix (Jonathan Stone, violin, Marie Macleod, cello, and Sholto Kynoch, piano) proceeded to give a beautiful account of the slow movement, while the Trio section showed the players’ ability to sound like a full orchestra. The pianist gets the meatiest material in this work, but the three players very much sounded as if they shared a common approach to the music – commendably, for this was the Phoenix’s very first concert: a new cellist has brought a change of name from the Prometheus Trio.

Frank Bridge’s Phantasie Trio gives its first main tune not to the piano but to the violin, playing low like a viola – not surprising, as Bridge was a viola player. The Phoenix emphasised that this is an early, romantic work, and brought out its velvety, Brahms-like overtones. Particularly enjoyable was the dialogue between piano and strings in the light-hearted scherzo, with violin and cello coming together in a pizzicato pistol shot that really made you jump.

The Phoenix can sound hard-driven and dramatic, a facet of their playing that was just right for the beginning of Mendelssohn’s Trio No 2 in C. The opening is a world away from, say, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but that world danced into view following a trio section that Mendelssohn himself described as “a bit slippery under the fingers”. No slipperiness here though – altogether this was a well-rounded concert from three consummate musicians.