Lise de la Salle: “I don’t have a memory without music”

“Highly intense, energetic to the extreme,” was how the OÖNachrichten praised the spontaneous fill-in on the piano for the sick Till Fellner at the OÖ on June 19, 2017. Abbey concerts. Lise de la Salle (35) is now a guest at the Linz Bruckner Festival with the string quartet Quatuor Hermès.

OÖNachrichten: Her mother and grandmother already taught piano. What is your very first piano memory?

Lise de la Salle: All the memories of my life are connected to music and the piano. There was always music in our house, on the radio, on CD. I really grew up in a musical environment. I don’t have a memory without music.

At 18 you finished your studies and separated from your teacher. Can a musician have too many lessons?

Ha! That was my very personal path. I believe everyone has to find out for themselves what is good for them. For me it was very important to find my own musical personality. Of course it is important to have good teachers and to learn the technical basics. This is the craft, like a painter who goes to a museum to copy the old masters.
Since I’ve been standing on my own two feet, I’ve always been learning – from other musicians and colleagues I play with, from the great old masters, there are wonderful recordings on YouTube. I think it’s important to be open to all influences. This is the only way to find out who you are and make your own music.

How do you cope with external pressure and expectations, also from a management?

I was always lucky there. I trust in long-term relationships, both personally and professionally. My current manager is the second one in my life. We were already friends in private beforehand. We decide together the tour plan, how many days a month I want to be at home and how many days I want to be on the road, how many concerts I want to play. All these important things.
I also need time, not just to practice. I don’t believe that practicing twelve hours a day is the solution. I need time to live, to live with music. Music is the mirror of our feelings, our humanity. Sitting in front of the instrument like a machine for hours is completely pointless. I like to compare it to good wine. You can’t age it chemically; it needs time to mature. It’s the same with an artist, we have to live our lives, with all experiences and emotions. My team has always understood and respected that.

You say, You want to sing on the piano. What does this mean for you and for music?

I believe the human voice is the most powerful instrument that can express anything. You have to breathe with your voice; our entire humanity lies in it. With an instrument, it’s easy to forget to breathe with the music, to let it speak from your heart. I want to express the musical message of a work in a simple, beautiful, clear way. You can’t really cheat with your voice.

Do you sing along sometimes? like Glenn Gould?

When I’m at home, sometimes, even though it might sound terrible. It helps me understand the music, a phrase I’m not entirely sure about.

In Linz you play chamber music. What attracts you to it?

It’s always something special, I play a lot of orchestral concerts and recitals – always with a lot of people or alone. A small group is best of all. Chamber music has this individual power, every musician has their own voice and statement. At the same time you have this concentrated energy, this flow. Experiencing this magic and sharing it with each other and with the audience is something wonderful and very satisfying.

Info: Linzer Brucknerhaus, Middle Hall, 7.30 p.m., tickets: 0732 77 52 30, www.brucknerhaus.at