Schubert -- by Austrian pianist Paul Badura-Skoda

Today is the Todestag (death date) of Austrian composer Franz Schubert (died Nov. 19, 1828, at the age of 31).
I can remember a time -- it seems more like an era ago -- when the date signaled a flurry of performances honoring Schubert. An especially inspired concert of "Winterreise" (the song cycle "Winter Journey")in Rochester, NY, a decade ago cannot be erased.

But tonight, I'm humbled again listening to Schubert on this 180th Todestag. This time, the source of humility and inspiration is Austrian pianist Paul Badura-Skoda (pictured right).

As luck would have it, Vienna's Badura-Skoda played here in Florida in November 2007, an all-Schubert-and-Beethoven program at Lake Worth's Duncan Theatre as part of the pianist's 80th anniversary tour. The performance of Schubert was so sublimely spiritual that my friends still talk about it a year afterward.
Badura-Skoda is one of the great pianists of the century. For years, he had the largest number of recordings on store shelves compared to other artists. Among his 200 recordings are the complete piano works of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert - some of the most gripping Schubert imaginable. And in his 80s, he is still releasing new CDs in Europe.

(To preview audio, visit www.badura-skoda.com.)