eight is enough

[calimac]

I know there are more momentous things to be lacking, but for the longest time one thing I was lacking was a really good recording of Mendelssohn's Octet. This is one of my favorite works of chamber music (twice as much stringy goodness as your standard quartet!), but I rarely listened to it at home because I didn't care much for the recordings I had. And it's peculiarly rare that two quartet ensembles sit down together and play it.

Now comes this month's BBC Music Magazine with a performance by the Royal and Psophos Quartets, whoever they may be, and it's pretty good. While the first movement is less vehement than ideal - I like the first violinist to sound as if at the very limits of endurance at the end of the exposition (and recap) - it's still pretty good, and the scherzo is the absolute perfection of Mendelssohnian airiness. I'm listening to it for the third time.

Paired with a solid, straightforward version of Schubert's Trout Quintet. I hardly needed another one of those, but it's nice to have all the same.

Comments

[asimovberlioz.livejournal.com]

My favorite recording of the Mendelssohn Octet is a 1959 recording by the Janacek and Smetana Quartets, in a 5-CD collection of the Janacek's recordings for DGG and Westminster (which latter is now owned by Universal). If you want lots of surpassingly fine recordings of music by Dvorak and Janacek and Smetana themselves, this is a great set.

My second favorite recording is a 1968 recording by the same two quartets, on a single Supraphon CD, coupled with the Suk Trio's Beethoven "Archduke." I've a feeling that you would enjoy either of these superb recordings of the Octet (and the respective additional items, of course).