Donald Satz wrote:

>Anyways, at one point I was comparing the Vienna Octet to St. Martins on
>Chandos and a HIP recording.  What really struck me was how idiomatic the
>Vienna Octet recording was.  Easily the best of the three.

I also think highly of the Vienna Octet recording and, at the other end
of ther spectrum, Mozzafiato & L'Archibudelli.  There are, however, a
few recordings that haven't been mentioned yet in this thread which are
worthwhile to hear:

- The Berlin Octet (members of the Berliner Philharmoniker) (1975)
- The Fine Arts Qt. with members of the New York Woodwind Quintet (sixties)
   and, not reissued on CD, but a *must* IMO:
- The Lener Qt. plus four great musicians of which Charles Draper and Aubrey
Brain are the most welll known (1928).

Philip