Along with the Overture to "A Midsummer Night's Dream", the Octet Op. 20 ranks among the uncontested masterworks of the young composer's early years, 1825/26. The work crosses the boundaries from chamber music to orchestral ensemble not only in the form of the famous Scherzo which Mendelssohn expanded through additional wind parts and inserted into the London version of the First Symphony op. 11. A composers note in the printed edition of the parts reads: "This Octet must be played in all parts in the style of a symphony; the Pianos and Fortés must be executed with great precision and shaped more distinctly and individually than is otherwise customary in pieces of this genre." The present new editions of the parts and study score are based on the volume of the Mendelssohn Complete Edition and present an authoritative text based on all major sources.