More than 70 years ago, eight members of the Berliner Philharmoniker formed the Philharmonic Octet—as the orchestra’s chamber-music ambassador, the ensemble has since performed across Europe. From the beginning, Schubert’s iconic F-major Octet formed a central part of the group’s repertoire. In 2020, the ensemble commissioned Toshio Hosokawa’s Textures, scored for the same combination of instruments, as a contemporary response. Schubert’s Moments musicaux, arranged for the eight musicians by Danish composer Hans Abrahamsen, provide a bridge from the 19th century to the present.