Review by nickc February 18, 2006 (2 of 3 found this review helpful)
Performance: Sonics:
Listen to the mounting excitement of the beginning of the Octet - from about the 3' mark the sonorities just keep piling higher and higher - and you can tell straight away the playing is full-blooded; just how I like it.
Nothing much to add to Polly's excellent summary of the two works. Clearly the Octet is an immeasurably superior work yet the Sextet has a gem of an adagio.
One thing I will say about the generally excellent sound - at lower dynamic levels it seems to recede a bit. This is most noticeable in the adagio and scherzo movements of the Octet where i turned the volume up three notches - once I did that it was just beautiful string tone.
A few reflections from the rears - just turn them down a few notches.
Sonics: 
