Lise de la Salle to Return to SFP Piano Series

French pianist Lise de la Salle (photograph by Stephane Gallois, courtesy of SFP)

Later this month the San Francisco Performances (SFP) Shenson Piano Series will present the fourth of its five recitals. The recitalist will be French pianist Lise de la Salle. According to my records, her last SFP recital took place at the end of February in 2014; and she made her debut with the San Francisco Symphony in 2007. However, my own most recent encounter with her was the result of viewing streamed performances during the COVID pandemic. In May of 2020 I wrote about her performance of Robert Schumann’s Opus 54 piano concerto in A minor with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra led by guest conductor Karina Canellakis.

Her 2014 recital could be described as a “two cultures” program. The first half was shared by Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms. The second half paralleled the first by coupling French composers Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.

This month’s recital will have a “central core” in the form of Franz Liszt’s monumental B minor piano sonata. By way of a “warm up,” de la Salle will perform the first of Liszt’s “Mephisto” waltzes as a “prelude” to the sonata. That “core” will then be flanked by Hispanic repertoire. The program will begin with Isaac Albéniz’ Opus 232, a suite of five pieces entitled Chants d’Espagne, which Albéniz himself first performed in Paris in 1892. At the other end the program will conclude with a three-movement suite composed by Alberto Ginastera in 1937 entitled Danzas Argentinas.

This concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19. It will take place in Herbst Theatre, whose entrance is on the ground floor of the Veterans Building at 401 Van Ness Avenue, located on the southwest corner of McAllister Street. This venue is excellent for public transportation, since that corner has Muni bus stops for both north-south and east-west travel. Ticket prices are $75 (premium Orchestra and front and center Dress Circle), $60 (remainder of Orchestra, all Side Boxes, and center rear Dress Circle), and $50 (remaining Dress Circle and Balcony); and they may be purchased through an SFP secure Web page. As available, single tickets will be sold at the door with a 50% discount for students and a 20% discount for seniors. Single tickets may also be purchased by calling 415-392-2545.