He may still be best known as Tchaikovsky's teacher, but the music of Anton Rubinstein (1829-1894) is quietly increasing its representation on disc. There is certainly enough of it to explore, in almost every genre, and these two early ensemble pieces, both combining wind and strings with piano, are hefty works each of which lasts well over half an hour. Neither turns out to be a neglected masterpiece, and neither speaks with a particularly distinctive voice; they could have been the product of any well-schooled young composer in the mid-19th century who knew the Austro-German repertoire and the chamber music of Brahms, Mendelssohn and Schumann especially.
The D major Octet is an 1856 reworking of an earlier piano concerto, while the F major Quintet reached its final form four years later. Both works do contain some striking moments - the Quintet's slow movement is launched with an impressively floated horn solo for instance - though not enough to make either truly memorable.