Jascha Horenstein loved to tell the story of when he first arrived in Vienna as a student in 1912. Very short on funds, he had to make a choice between attending an Arthur Nikisch Beethoven concert or the world premiere of the Symphony No. 9 by the recently deceased conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic, Gustav Mahler. He chose the renowned Nikisch – and regretted his decision for the rest of his life. Imagine the excitement of being at a world premiere of a work that would so deeply influence the course of music history.

It was with great anticipation that I attended the New York Philharmonic Ensemble’s Sunday performance at the Merkin Concert Hall, where I have in the past enjoyed several maiden voyages presented by the orchestra’s chamber groups. Not that there is much danger of confusing John Sichel’s “Piano Trio in One Movement” with that Mahler symphony, but the piece turned out to be a very satisfactory one. Mr. Sichel is, among other things, a professor of rock ‘n’ roll history, and he has constructed a well-developed essay that makes up in craftsmanship what it may lack in profundity.

The work is a rather bellicose one, with a lot of clashing, high emotion. The form is standard 19th century: Despite its title, the piece has four distinct sections corresponding to our general understanding of movements. I was especially pleased with the brio of the Scherzo and the surprising pandemonium of the ultimate section. Certainly the trio of violinist Lisa Gihae Kim, cellist Eric Bartlett, and pianist Susan Walters performed admirably.

My only disappointment was that Mr. Sichel, who was present to receive a fine ovation, did not title his piece more creatively, since he has shown a flair for such matters in the past. He is the author of both “Francesca Da Bimini” and (my personal favorite) “Three Places in New Jersey.”

As if to identify itself as an offshoot of the Philharmonic, the ensemble began this concert by totally blowing the opening of Ravel’s lovely “Introduction and Allegro.” The clarinet and flute – bear in mind that it was only the two of them – intoned the second note of the piece at entirely different times; this was a microcosm of one of the Phil’s most consistent problems, particularly in pizzica to passages. However, the group made a nice recovery as accompaniment for the virtuoso Nancy Allen, whose harp playing this afternoon was nothing short of masterful. I would have wished for a little more delicacy from the chamber ensemble, but this is but a cavil.

Arguably the most beautiful of Brahms’s early chamber works is the String Sextet No. 2, written in 1864-65. The lifelong bachelor, who adopted as his motto “free but happy,” encrypted the name of the object of his desire, Agathe von Siebold, into the first movement as “agadhe” in German notation (H equaling B flat). Brahms, who would later often employ this type of thematic transliteration, offered the quotation not as an enticement but as a paean, stating in a contemporaneous letter: “Here I have freed myself from my last love.” The opening theme vacillates sensually between G major and E-flat major over a throbbing viola accompaniment that should start the proceedings thrillingly.

But it was deja vu all over again: This naked opening was wobbly and uneven. Luckily the overall ensemble, led by associate concertmistress Sheryl Staples, was able to jump in and perform flawlessly, although with a certain hard edge to its sonority. This music should simply drip with elegance and requires a more flowing, elastic sound than this sextet was willing or able to muster at this particular juncture.

The remarkable Adagio, one of the first truly great Brahmsian movements, includes a set of five variations and a coda. Here the group’s playing was much improved, kinder and gentler, begging the question of why it was so abrasive in the other sections. I wonder how much rehearsal time these busy people have for events such as these. They seemed to be only a couple of critical runthroughs away from sublime communication.

One more observation: I noticed that the Philharmonic’s general manager, Zarin Mehta, was in the audience. It is very nice – and exceedingly rare – to see a boss who is willing to give up his Sunday afternoon to support the efforts of his musicians.