Franz Schubert - Treasures (Rudolf Buchbinder)

Information

Composer: Franz Schubert

• 36 Originaltänze, D. 365
• 16 German Dances and 2 Ecossaises, D. 783
• 38 Waltzes, Ländler & Ecossaises, D. 145
• Galop and 8 Ecossaises, D. 735
• Valses sentimentales, D. 779
• Wiener Damen-Ländler und Ecossaisen, D. 734
• Valses nobles, D. 969
• 12 Grazer Walzer, D. 924

Rudolf Buchbinder, piano

Date: 2026

Label: Deutsche Grammophon

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In Schubert: Treasures, Rudolf Buchbinder turns to Franz Schubert’s piano dances, a repertoire he has known since childhood and approaches with the authority of a lifelong artist. Marking his 80th birthday, the pianist presents the complete set of dance cycles published during Schubert’s lifetime, shedding light on works often overshadowed within the composer’s output. Rooted in the social milieu of early nineteenth-century Vienna, these waltzes, Ländler, and écossaises reflect both the elegance of popular entertainment and a deeper expressive undercurrent of introspection and melancholy. Buchbinder’s interpretation carefully preserves this duality, revealing the music’s simplicity alongside its emotional depth and subtle sophistication, in keeping with his view of Schubert’s dances as “miniature worlds with a gigantic heart.”

Rudolf Buchbinder is an Austrian pianist widely regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of the Classical and early Romantic repertoire, particularly the works of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Born in 1946, he studied at the Vienna Academy of Music under Bruno Seidlhofer and began an international career in the 1960s, performing extensively across Europe and beyond. Known for his authoritative interpretations and stylistic clarity, he has performed complete cycles of Beethoven’s piano sonatas and concertos in major concert halls worldwide. In addition to his performing career, Buchbinder is the founder and artistic director of the Grafenegg Festival and has collaborated with leading orchestras and conductors, establishing a significant presence in both live performance and recording.