“We welcome the fact that cpo has now taken up Gade’s chamber music: it is wonderfully written and does not deserve to disappear into the footnotes of music history writing. The MidVest Ensemble completely dedicates itself to Gade and on this perfectly balanced recording performs the works with an open naturalness displaying his music in a highly favorable light.” This is what FonoForum wrote in 2016 about Vol. 2 of cpo’s Gade recording series based on the new historical-critical complete edition of his works. The compositional history of many of these works is long and complicated because Gade often submitted his earlier works to later revisions. However, the little information we have about the composition of his Octet enables us to sketch the following picture: Gade began his work on it at the very latest in early 1848. In its style, overall form, and in various details Gade’s octet shares some elements with Mendelssohn’s octet. It is highly probable that Gade wanted to honor his late friend and colleague in this work, which prescribes the same instruments as the young Mendelssohn’s work from 1825. The chamber music included on this release shows a growing artist influenced by his colleagues and mentors, but coming into his own style.