Now that Merton's string octet score collection is on IMSLP and a few good sound bites are available on Silvertrust, unsung fans can get to know this repertoire.
Any opinions about what to put after the Mendelssohn? (the previous thread on Raff's octet is noted)
one of my very favorite octets it may have been (I should check!) impossible, for copyright reasons, to upload just now- the Enesco. Another energetic effusion of youth, but early 20th-century instead of early-19th.
Eric
As Glazier has already nominated (quite rightly :) ) Raff's Octet, then my suggestion would be the three movement Octet by Woldemar Bargiel. The long opening movement in particular is a powerful piece of writing, probably the best thing I've heard from him.
The Enescu,too, gets my vote!. Steve
The string octets (other than the Mendelssohn) that I enjoy the most include:
Bargiel (one very fine recording by the Divertimenti Ensemble coupled with the Mendelssohn)
Bruch
Enescu (surely one of the great octets of all time)
There is also the Two Pieces for String Octet Op 11 by Shostakovich - a very fine work that I would urge people to seek-out.
There are also octets by such composers as Gade, Glière and Svendsen which I haven't heard.
Do Louis Spohr's double quartets qualify as octets?
The Svendsen and Glière at least have been recorded, the former a few times, the latter at least once- I haven't heard them either (though I know I've skimmed the scores :) )... any opinions? (I haven't heard Bruch's either yet, unfortunately. Gade's once I think.) Then there's Norman (Ludvig)'s octet which I think has received only a radio recording... if you're willing to go through a lot of octets for wind or piano or other combinations too, the octets at http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Octets (http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Octets) are worth a look in my opinion (not because all of them are top 10 material, of course- that's not what I mean.)
Eric
If we can count Spohr's double quartets as octets then I'd go for No 1 in D minor Op 65. Which one would you choose chill319?
Unsung String Octets
I haven't heard the Gliere, but here's what I have heard. I am reluctant to include Spohr's Double Quartets on the list, but have I missed any others from the Romantic era?
Raff in C
Bruch in B flat
Bargiel in C minor
Gade in F
Svendsen in A
Enescu in C
Schuberth in E
Ah, I didn't see Schuberth's has been recorded (and I have access to the recording, too.) I do see that Grädener's has a sort of recording from Steve's Bedroom Band, and wonder if we count Goossens' Concertino (though it may be outside of our orbit.)
Btw I look forward to finding out if Thieriot's string octet is as good as his recorded octet for winds and strings (which I think I heard in live concert awhile back- only work I've heard of his live so far.)
There are also the octets by father and son Carl and Hermann Grädener in this thread (on the third page of the thread): https://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,4446.0.html
As I remember the father's work did not rank very highly but Hermann's octet was thought to pass muster.
btw as to the earlier post and octets from the Romantic era, there are certainly some others, like Ludvig Norman's, Ferdinand Praeger's, Otto Malling's, etc. that might be worth looking into. I have no idea which have been recorded, as yet.