For those unaware, pianist Lise de la Salle lends her “charm, imagination, and dazzling technique” (The Washington Post) to her new album PHANTASMAGORIA out February 14 on Naïve Classiques. The album celebrates de la Salle’s longstanding affinity for the works of Franz Liszt, and includes his Piano Sonata in B minor, S. 178; the Cantique d’amour from Harmonies poétiques et religieuses iii, S. 173, and Réminiscences de Don Juan, S. 418, Grande fantaisie pour le piano.

Lise de la Salle has always been moved by the music of Franz Liszt, underscoring “how fundamentally human these works are. They speak of who we are, what we go through, life and death…” De la Salle paired Liszt with Bach in her second album, which she recorded in 2005 when she was only seventeen years old, and recorded her first all-Liszt album in 2011.

Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor, S178
I. Lento assai - Allegro energico - Grandioso
II. Cantando espressivo - Allegro energico
III. Incalzando - Recitativo ritenuto
IV. Andante sostenuto - Quasi adagio
V. Espressivo
VI. Allegro energico - Più mosso
VII. Stretta quasi presto - Presto - Prestissimo
VIII. Andante sostenuto - Allegro moderato - Lento assai

Liszt: Harmonies poétiques et religieuses III, S. 173: X. Cantique d’amour

Liszt: Réminiscences de "Don Juan" (after Mozart), S. 418
I. Grave - Andantino
II. Duetto
III. Variation I
IV. Variation II
V. Presto - Più animato - Prestissimo - Andante

A career of already over 20 years, award-winning Naïve recordings, international concert appearances, Lise opens this impressive new recording on Piano Sonata in B minor, S178 - which itself begins with the opaque Lento assai - Allegro energico - Grandioso and the hauntingly ethereal Cantando espressivo - Allegro energico, and then we get the sprightly Incalzando - Recitativo ritenuto, the sheer elegance of Andante sostenuto - Quasi adagio, before the dainty Espressivo, the quietly strident Allegro energico - Più mosso and both the playfully flirtatious Stretta quasi presto - Presto - Prestissimo and the gracefulness of Andante sostenuto - Allegro moderato - Lento assai are brought forth.

Along next is the beautiful, majestically grandiose six minute Harmonies poétiques et religieuses III, S. 173: X. Cantique d’amour which is itself backed seamlessly by the ordained masterpiece Réminiscences de “Don Juan” (after Mozart), S. 418 - which opens on the sturdy Grave - Andantino, the flourishing Duetto, and then we get the perky Variation I, the sparkling Variation II, the collection coming to a close on the pure stateliness of Presto - Più animato - Prestissimo - Andante.

Lise de la Salle - Liszt: Sonata (Official Video)

Official Website