In early 19th-century Vienna, dances such as German dances, Ländler and Ecossaises were hugely popular. Schubert’s collections captured the spirit of the time, answering the era’s appetite for sociability and entertainment. Yet beneath their graceful surface lies a deeper emotional world. Longing and melancholy resonate throughout these pieces, as if Schubert sensed how little time he would be granted on earth. These miniatures open fleeting glimpses into a mysterious cosmos, poised between the polished parquet of Vienna’s ballrooms and something almost transcendent. With esprit, spontaneity and the authority of a career spanning nearly seven decades, Rudolf Buchbinder brings these worlds vividly to life.