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Schubert: Ländler

Pierre-Laurent Aimard

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Schubert’s Deceptively Simple Dances

Star pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard presents Ländler, a collection of delightful dances composed by Franz Schubert. Rustic and cheerful, these miniatures display a fascinating side of Schubert’s musical persona. Their simplicity is deceptive, as these dances are frequently shaken up by Schubert’s harmonic wandering soul, yet remaining lyrical, picturesque and tuneful.

Exclusively Available in Stereo and 5 Channel Surround Sound DSD 256, DSD 128 and DSD 64 plus Stereo DSD 512 from NativeDSD.

For Aimard, there is a kinship between Schubert’s Ländler and Kurtág’s Játékok, pieces that he often performs side by side, sharing a combination of playfulness and Modernism that also calls the great 20th-century miniaturist Anton Webern to mind. By avoiding almost any repetition, Aimard evokes a sleepwalker’s journey rather than a series of dances.  

A renowned champion of twentieth-century music, Pierre-Laurent Aimard has released multiple acclaimed albums in his exclusive contract with Pentatone, including Messiaen’s Catalogue d’Oiseaux (2018) and Visions de l’Amen (2022), along with Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata & Eroica Variations (2021). He also joined Tamara Stefanovich in Etudes and Frames (2023), with music by Vassos Nicolaou, and recorded Bartók’s Piano Concertos with the San Francisco Symphony and Esa-Pekka Salonen (2023).


Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Piano

Tracklist

Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.
1.
36 Originaltanze Op. 9 D.365 - No. 1 in A-Flat Major - No. 2 in A-Flat Major - No. 3 in A-Flat Major
01:20
2.
36 Originaltanze Op. 9 D.365 - No. 5 in A-Flat Major No. 12 in A-Flat Major - No. 14 in D-Flat Major
01:29
3.
36 Originaltanze Op. 9 D.365 - No. 21 in G Major - No. 22 in G-Sharp Minor - No. 25 in E Major - No.
01:44
4.
36 Originaltanze Op. 9 D.365 - No. 29 in D Major - No. 31 in C Major No. 34 in F Major - No. 36 in F
02:10
5.
38 Waltzes Landler and Ecossaises Op. 18 D.145: Waltzes - No. 1 in E Minor - No. 2 in B Minor - No.
02:18
6.
38 Waltzes Landler and Ecossaises Op. 18 D.145: Waltzes - No. 4 in C-Sharp Minor - No. 5 in E Minor
00:45
7.
38 Waltzes Landler and Ecossaises Op. 18 D.145: Waltzes - No. 6 in B Minor - No. 8 in E-Flat Minor -
02:21
8.
38 Waltzes Landler and Ecossaises Op. 18 D.145: Waltzes - No. 10 in B Minor - No. 11 in B Major - No
02:10
9.
38 Waltzes Landler and Ecossaises Op. 18 D.145: Landler - No. 2 in E-Flat Major - No. 3 in A-Flat Ma
01:02
10.
38 Waltzes Landler and Ecossaises Op. 18 D.145: Landler - No. 4 in D-Flat Major - No. 5 in D-Flat Ma
01:35
11.
38 Waltzes Landler and Ecossaises Op. 18 D.145: Landler - No. 7 in D-Flat Major - No. 8 in B-Flat Mi
01:13
12.
38 Waltzes Landler and Ecossaises Op. 18 D.145: Landler - No. 10 in D-Flat Major - No. 11 in D-Flat
01:15
13.
38 Waltzes Landler and Ecossaises Op. 18 D.145: Landler - No. 13 in A Major - No. 14 in D Major - No
01:18
14.
38 Waltzes Landler and Ecossaises Op. 18 D.145: Landler - No. 16 in G Major - No. 17 in D Major
01:18
15.
18 German Dances and Ecoissaises Op. 33 D.783: German Dances - No. 2 in D Major - No. 3 in B-Flat M
01:26
16.
18 German Dances and Ecoissaises Op. 33 D.783: German Dances - No. 4 in G Major - No. 5 in B Minor -
01:04
17.
18 German Dances and Ecoissaises Op. 33 D.783: German Dances - No. 12 in C Major - No. 14 in F Minor
01:26
18.
Galop and 8 Ecoissaises D.735: Galop - Galop
01:09
19.
Galop and 8 Ecoissaises D.735: Ecoissaises - No. 1 in G Major - No. 5 in E-Flat Major - No. 6 in E-F
01:57
20.
Valses sentimentales Op. 50 D.779 - No. 1 in C Major - No. 2 in C Major - No. 3 in G Major - No. 4 i
02:00
21.
Valses sentimentales Op. 50 D.779 - No. 7 in G Minor - No. 9 in A Minor - No. 10 in G Major - No. 11
01:28
22.
Valses sentimentales Op. 50 D.779 - No. 12 in D Major - No. 13 in A Major - No. 14 in D Major - No.
02:42
23.
Valses sentimentales Op. 50 D.779 - No. 17 in C Major - No. 18 in A-Flat Major - No. 19 in A-Flat Ma
01:36
24.
Valses sentimentales Op. 50 D.779 - No. 23 in E-Flat Major - No. 28 in E-Flat Major - No. 31 in A Mi
01:18
25.
17 Landler D.366 - No. 1 in A Major - No. 4 in A Major - No. 6 in C Major
02:00
26.
17 Landler D.366 - No. 7 in G Major - No. 12 in E-Flat Minor
01:05
27.
4 Landler D.814 - No. 4 in C Major
00:39
28.
Wiener-Damen Landler und Ecoissaisen Op. 67 D.734: Landler - No. 2 in D Major - No. 3 in G Major - N
01:25
29.
Wiener-Damen Landler und Ecoissaisen Op. 67 D.734: Landler - No. 6 in A Major - No. 5 in D Major
01:00
30.
Wiener-Damen Landler und Ecoissaisen Op. 67 D.734: Landler - No. 11 in G Major - No. 13 in G Major
01:10
31.
Wiener-Damen Landler und Ecoissaisen Op. 67 D.734: Landler - No. 14 in B Minor - No. 15 in G Major
01:03
32.
Wiener-Damen Landler und Ecoissaisen Op. 67 D.734: Ecoissaisen - No. 1 in A Minor - No. 2 in A Majo
00:46
33.
12 Valses Nobles Op.77 D.969 - No. 10 in F Major
00:27
34.
12 Grazer Waltzes Op. 91 D.924 - No. 11 in E Minor
00:36
35.
20 Waltzes Op. 127 D.146 - No. 9 in C Major
01:40
36.
20 Waltzes Op. 127 D.146 - No. 6 in D Major
01:29
37.
20 Waltzes Op. 127 D.146 - No. 3 in E Minor
01:13
38.
20 Waltzes Op. 127 D.146 - No. 5 in F Major
02:40
39.
20 Waltzes Op. 127 D.146 - No. 10 in F Major
02:06
40.
20 Waltzes Op. 127 D.146 - No. 11 in B-Flat Major
01:18
41.
20 Waltzes Op. 127 D.146 - No. 12 in G Minor - No. 14 in G Major
01:06
42.
20 Waltzes Op. 127 D.146 - No. 19 in F Major - No. 15 in G Minor - No. 20 in D Major
02:35
43.
12 German Dances Op. 171 D.790 - No. 3 in D Major - No. 4 in D Major - No. 5 in B Minor - No. 6 in G
02:20
44.
12 German Dances Op. 171 D.790 - No. 7 in A-Flat Major - No. 8 in A-Flat Minor - No. 11 in A-Flat Ma
02:03
45.
12 German Dances Op. 171 D.790 - No. 9 in B Major - No. 10 in B Minor
00:59

Total time: 01:07:44

Additional information

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PTC5187034

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Release DateMay 24, 2024

Press reviews

Classics Today

While Aimard clearly has pondered every tempo, every phrase, and every dynamic gradation, the results sound fluid, natural, and never less than beautiful. Certainly the pianist benefits from a responsive vintage Steinway and gorgeous engineering.

The Classic Review

Schubert wrote hundreds of short works for piano, and the over 100 dances included in this program are usually added as fillers to Piano Sonatas albums, as with Uchida and Brendel’s Schubert cycles.

Therefore, it’s fitting to start this review by praising Aimard’s curation. The sequencing thoughtfully avoids monotony while maintaining a natural flow, allowing the listener to enjoy the album in its entirety without it feeling fragmented.

Aimard’s performance is equally commendable. He sounds like a natural Schubertian, imbuing the pieces with elegance and charm. His masterful control of tone and voicing, particularly in the left-hand accompaniment, adds a subtle layer of refinement.

The instrument chosen for this recording deserves a mention as well. This 1956 Steinway D piano, once housed at the Rudolfinum in Prague and later acquired by Annemarie Schindler, was renovated by piano technician Stefan Knüpfer. Resonant and warm, it provides a superb platform for Aimard’s pianism.

Aimard himself contributes insightful commentary, highlighting the intimacy and vulnerability captured within these miniature works. A historical background by Philippe Cassard dives into the origins of the Ländler and Schubert’s approach to composing them. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the social context and influences that shaped these dances.

“Ländler” stands as a satisfying exploration of a lesser-known facet of the Schubert’s work. The combination of Aimard’s insightful performance, the meticulously chosen dances, and the informative booklet text makes this album a captivating listen. Hopefully, Aimard would treat us to more Schubert in the future, especially the late Piano Sonatas.

The Times

Well, here’s an unusual album. The pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard is one of those French intellectual musicians with three brains, fearlessly wading through Boulez and other thickets of the contemporary repertoire. So what is he playing here? A healthy selection of Schubert’s Ländler: popular dance pieces written for domestic consumption, so brief and simple that this 68-minute album contains more than 100 of them, mostly in waltz rhythms — all over just after they’ve begun.

Since it’s Schubert, simplicity doesn’t mean superficiality. “Schubert,” Aimard tells us, “manages to plunge us into the heart of the sweetness, ambiguity and vertigo of the realm between life and death.” But whether you feel plunged into such twilight or not, it’s abundantly clear that Aimard’s approach to these miniature jewels is entirely suitable and rewarding. He shapes and shades the notes with poise and subtle inflections, yet nothing becomes overdone, precious or brittle.

The 70-year-old Steinway he plays (we’re given its exact model number) is equally special, with a particularly bright upper register perfect for spotlighting the intimacy and vulnerability of Schubert’s melodies, as fragile and beautiful as butterflies as they flit over the keyboard with a lifespan of 30 or 40 seconds. Under the authentic Schubert spell, I would happily have listened on for much longer.

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