Mature Performance From One So Young

Thoughtful playing by Lise de la Salle.

Composer: Mozart, Prokofiev
Repertoire: Rondo in A minor; Sonata in D; Twelve Variations, et al; Toccata, Op.11; Sonata No.3, Op.28; et al.
Artists: Lise de la Salle (piano)
Rating: 4/5

Genre: Instrumental
Label: Naïve V 5080 

At 18, the French pianist Lise de la Salle already has an enviable reputation as one of the most mature and thoughtful of today’s young musicians. Her most recent disc pairs the vastly contrasting (one might think) Mozart and Prokofiev, but in de la Salle’s hands, similarities emerge as much as differences: both are delivered with tidy musicality, crisp cleanliness of tone and a glittering clarity of texture. It’s only in the Six Pieces from Romeo and Juliet that she allows herself to delve deeper into the piano’s potential for richness and sensuality.