>> For fans of fine keyboard playing, the most important day this week will be Friday (October 24, 7:30 p.m.) when the adventurous, authoritative French pianist Alexandre Tharaud will play a much anticipated recital at La Maison Française. Tharaud has made several critically acclaimed recordings since his last recital here in 2005, masterful interpretations of Bach, Couperin, and Chopin. At the French embassy his program will combine the set of op. 28 preludes from that most recent recording with Miroirs, from his excellent complete Ravel recording. With a seat at only $20, this is the biggest ticket of the week.

>> What could be better than that? Excellent music for free, which is what you will get in the program by the superlative Vienna Piano Trio on Sunday (October 26, 6:30 p.m.) at the National Gallery of Art. The group’s last visit to the area in 2006 was memorable, and this time they will play more Viennese music with some Haydn and Schubert, as well as Smetana.

>> Joining the National Symphony Orchestra this week is cellist Steven Isserlis (October 23 to 25). He will play some more Haydn, the C major cello concerto, in a trend that will continue through the 200th anniversary of the Austrian composer’s death next year. After generally successful Mahler last week, Iván Fischer will also conduct the second Rachmaninov symphony, in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.