The Scharoun Ensemble’s recording of Schubert’s Octet has received a five-star review (5/5 for both Music and Sound) from Germany’s Fono Forum in its July 2026 issue, with critic Marcus Stäbler praising the ensemble’s deep, longstanding connection to the work.
Founded in 1983 by members of the Berlin Philharmonic, the Scharoun Ensemble has performed the Octet more than five hundred times, and Stäbler hears that experience throughout the recording, singling out a keenly attuned interplay that shapes the entire recording.
The review highlights standout moments across the piece, from a subtly held harmonic shift in the Adagio to a Minuet that “seems to float,” and a Trio where violin and bassoon sing together “as though they were a couple newly in love.” Stäbler notes the ensemble’s ability to move fluidly through Schubert’s emotional range — from the Scherzo’s exuberance to the Finale’s creeping foreboding — with what he calls intimate chamber-musical communion.
The result, according to Fono Forum, is a performance shaped by rare familiarity and feeling.
Schubert: Octet is out now on PENTATONE.
