In the field of Mozart celebration – or is it saturation? – the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center has done its part. On Tuesday night, it finished a three-concert series called “Soul of Genius,” dedicated to the birthday boy. (For those who have been blissfully unaware: January 27 marked the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth.)

Tuesday night’s concert offered the Orion String Quartet, in two viola quintets and one standard string quartet – to the extent that anything by Mozart is standard.

What is a “viola quintet”? This is merely a way of saying that the composition calls for two violas, in addition to the usual two violins and cello.That extra violist with the Orions was Michael Tree, well-known as a founding member of the Guarneri String Quartet.The Orions themselves consist of the brothers Phillips, Daniel and Todd, co-first violins; Steven Tenenbom, viola; and Timothy Eddy, cello. They are quartet-in-residence at the Chamber Music Society.

Mozart wrote six viola quintets, and, in his program notes for Tuesday night, Dr. Richard E. Rodda told a nice story about three of them. In 1787, they were offered for sale as “finely and correctly written” – and if ever there was truth in advertising, it was then. Indeed, that was understatement in advertising.

Some of us hold in particular esteem the Quintet in C major, K. 515, with which the Orions – plus Mr.Tree – began their program. Its second movement – marked Menuetto: Allegretto – is a winsome thing, chromatic and what you might dare to call jazzy. The five players rendered it stylishly.

The slow movement is marked Andante, which is not terribly slow at all.It needs to move, and our performers could have done a better job of moving – of breathing. But they did not fail in this music. Their playing was angelic while still sinewy. Airy-fairiness kills Mozart, and it especially kills his slow movements. The Orions and Mr.Tree avoided that treatment.

Sometimes you hear that Mozart is “too perfect.” What people mean, I think, is that he is played too prissily. For a correction, see the late George Szell, as either conductor or pianist. If you prefer live, see one of his proteges, James Levine.

The fourth movement (Allegro) of the C-major Quintet traveled its merry path.The first violinist – one of the Phillipses – suffered some bad intonation, but at least he realized that Mozart is singing in this movement, and the violinist duly sang (if off-key).

The Orions held the second viola quintet for last – and continued their concert with Mozart’s Quartet in E flat, K. 428. To the first movement, the players applied a rather grainy sound, which was right. But the second movement – Andante con moto – is almost hymnlike, chorale-like. It should have a rich, glowing sound – and the Orions provided that, too.They also supplied the “moto” (motion) of the tempo marking; they did not dawdle.

All in all, this movement was very nicely judged. It was better musically than technically, which is to be preferred, if you can’t have both. The violist, Mr. Tenenbom, in particular played beautifully.

The third movement – the minuet – was tight and charming, and if the fast final movement could have used more precision, at least the Orions reflected the right spirit. And all voices were admirably in evidence (whether coordinated or not).

The viola quintet in G minor,K.516,is accorded a special place by musicians, music scholars, and others. I myself would not rate it over the Cmajor quintet – I think the fact that it is in a minor key makes people regard it as extra-profound – but it is undoubtedly a masterwork. Besides which: Who’s ranking?

The Orions and Mr.Tree played K. 516 competently, if not in some revelatory or transcendent way.The slow movement – Adagio ma non troppo – is simply a perfect piece of music. Truly sublime. Our five did it justice, particularly in their soft playing. The fourth movement, they did not begin together – but by the time they got to the G-major section of this movement, they were in stride. And they played with welcome verve.

A question: Is it advisable to fashion a program of three Mozart chamber works – nothing else? Well, it occurred to me, as I was listening, that everyone who bought a ticket for Tuesday night – or for one of the other concerts – knew what the program was. And this audience obviously wanted their Mozart, unbroken.

I like the old notion advanced by Artur Rubinstein that a concert ought to be like a meal: with an appetizer, a main course, a dessert, maybe an after-dinner mint (in the form of some brief encore). A program like Tuesday night’s can feel like multiple servings of one course. But Mozart – what a chef!