Top ten string octets

[Glazier]

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) 

[eschiss1]

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

[Mark Thomas]

As Glazier has already nominated (quite rightly ) Raff's Octet, then my suggestion would be the three movement Octet by Woldemar Bargeil. The long opening movement in particular is a powerful piece of writing, probably the best thing I've heard from him.

[Steve B]

The Enescu,too, gets my vote!. Steve

[Delicious Manager]

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.

[chill319]

Do Louis Spohr's double quartets qualify as octets?

[eschiss1]

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 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

[John H White]

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?