Schubert: Octet D 803 Scharoun Ensemble Berlin

• Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828): Octet in F Major, D 803:
• 1 Schubert: Octet in F Major, D 803: I. Adagio - Allegro 15:12
• 2 Schubert: Octet in F Major, D 803: II. Adagio 11:13
• 3 Schubert: Octet in F Major, D 803: III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace 06:14
• 4 Schubert: Octet in F Major, D 803: IV. Andante 11:29
• 5 Schubert: Octet in F Major, D 803: V. Menuetto. Allegretto 07:23
• 6 Schubert: Octet in F Major, D 803: VI. Andante molto - Allegro 09:29
• Total Runtime 01:01:00

Info for Schubert: Octet D 803

Schubert’s Octet in F Major, D 803 stands as one of the crowning achievements of chamber music – an expansive, symphonic vision distilled into eight voices. For the Scharoun Ensemble Berlin, this masterpiece lies at the very heart of their artistic identity. Founded in 1983 by members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the ensemble takes its name from Hans Scharoun, architect of the Berlin Philharmonie, whose Kammermusiksaal has been their musical home since their very first public performance – and the venue of this recording. Shaped by decades of deep familiarity, the Octet reveals Schubert’s entire emotional world: joy and exuberance, tenderness and nostalgia, fear and defiance, all unfolding across what violinist Rachel Schmidt calls “one glorious hour of music” that portrays an entire life.

This new recording marks a significant moment in the ensemble’s history. Having performed the Octet close to 500 times and recorded it once before, the Scharoun Ensemble now returns to its signature work to document a new generation of players, with founding member and double bass player Peter Riegelbauer. Captured in the Philharmonie’s Chamber Music Hall, the performance combines interpretative maturity with renewed freshness, allowing Schubert’s extraordinary range of colour and dramatic depth to shine. With its intimate connection to place, tradition, and living musical continuity, this recording offers a definitive and deeply personal account of one of the most beloved works in the chamber repertoire.

Scharoun Ensemble Berlin

Scharoun Ensemble Berlin
Founded in 1983 by members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Scharoun Ensemble is one of Germany’s leading chamber groups. Now entering its fifth decade, the Ensemble continues to bridge the gap between tradition and modernity, working with the world’s leading conductors and composers. Since its foundation, composers including György Ligeti, Hans Werner Henze, Pierre Boulez, György Kurtág, Wolfgang Rhim, Jörg Widmann and Matthias Pintscher have accompanied the Ensemble on their artistic journey.

The permanent core of the Scharoun Ensemble is a classical octet (clarinet, bassoon, horn, two violins, viola, cello and double bass), made up of members of the Berlin Philharmonic except from Wolfram Brandl, who is first concertmaster of the Staatskapelle Berlin and Claudio Bohórquez, cello professor at the Hochschule for Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin.

When called for, the ensemble brings in additional instrumentalists as well as renowned conductors. The Scharoun Ensemble has performed various programmes under the direction of Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle, Daniel Barenboim and Pierre Boulez. It has also performed with singers including Thomas Quasthoff, Simon Keenlyside and Barbara Hannigan, and, for interdisciplinary projects, the ensemble has engaged such artists as Fanny Ardant, Loriot and Dominique Horwitz.

Bridging the gap between tradition and the modern is the Scharoun Ensemble’s principal artistic focus. It has given world premieres of many 20th and 21st century pieces while dedicating itself with equal passion to the interpretation of works from past centuries. Among the cornerstones of its repertoire are Franz Schubert’s Octet D. 803, with which the ensemble made its public debut in 1983, and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Septet Op. 20.

Complementing the Scharoun Ensemble’s international concert activity is its annual residence at the Zermatt Festival, founded in 2005. Along with concerts by major artists, each summer’s festival includes musical workshops offering young musicians the chance to work with the members of the Scharoun Ensemble.

Lending his name to the Scharoun Ensemble is the architect of its musical home. In designing the Berlin Philharmonie, Hans Scharoun (1893-1972) created a concert hall that was unique in the world, undertaking a synthesis between innovation and awareness of tradition and opening up new approaches to artistic communication – ideals to which the Scharoun Ensemble is also committed.

Booklet for Schubert: Octet D 803