Antoine Préat
Piano
[Review extract]
12
th
October
2023
saw
the
inaugural
concert
of
the
Society’s
65
th
Season,
with
a
breath-taking
performance
by
pianist
Antoine
Préat,
given
in
the
Assembly
Room
at
Grimsby
Town
Hall.
With
much
appreciated
congeniality,
Antoine
introduced
Rameau’s
Suite
en
Sol
–
a
delightful
collection
of
8
short
contrasting
sketches.
A
lively
allegro
opening
was
contrasted
with
a
melodic,
sensitively
played
second
piece.
It
was
clear
that
the
piano
was
an
extension
of
Antoine.
The
7
th
movement
had
a
beautiful
impressionist
feel;
the
fast
final
movement
reminded
one
of
a
child
with
a
new
toy
–
in
this
case
Antoine
enjoying
the
Steinway.
The
sweet
tone
of
the
Steinway
was
brought
out
in
a
wonderfully
controlled
'Reflections
in
the
water'
(Debussy
Images
Book
1
)
with
contrasting
dynamics
and
a
marvellous
crescendo
in
a
rapid
cascade
of
notes.
Owning
Debussy’s
Tribute
to
Rameau
Antoine’s
moving
interpretation
went
beyond
the
page.
Movement
felt
like
a
ride
that
would
not
stop!
Following
the
interval,
Antoine
performed
Fauré’s
3
Songs
Without
Words
,
from
his
early
period
full
of
the
freshness
of
youth
–
feelings
captured
and
expressively
intimated
to
the
audience
by
Antoine
as
he
explored
the
full
dynamic
range
of
the
piano.
In
particular,
the
3
rd
movement evoked feelings of love and tenderness.
Schumann’s
quirky
Papillons
–
a
story
of
tricks
and
mischief
as
two
butterflies
wooing
a
female
seek
to
outdo
each
other,
was
played
with
fun,
panache
and
intensity,
always
assuredly
and
with
an
appropriate
sense
of
tongue-in-cheek.
The
final
set
of
the
concert
came
from
Debussy’s
Images
Book
II
.
Antoine’s
interpretation
of
Bells
Through
the
Leaves
was
ethereal,
with
a
delicate
balancing
of
bell-like
chimes
against
the
underlying
movement
–
Antoine
living
the
music!
As
Antoine
moved
through
The
Moon
Sets
Above
the
Temple
That
Was
,
and
onto
Gold-fish
–
there
was
a
sense
of
a
collective
holding
of
breath,
the
audience
hanging
on
every
note.
Antoine
offered
the
audience
a
choice
of
encore
with
Ravel
being
picked.
In
a
moving
end
to
the
concert,
he
played
a
piano
arrangement
of
Kaddish
-
impressionistic,
moving between sadness and wistfulness to a determined and resolute finish.
Afterwards
Antoine
was
complimentary
about
the
setting,
the
piano,
and
the
audience
whom
he
felt
had
given
him
the
space
to
fully
express himself. Members of the departing audience also expressed directly their appreciation of Antoine’s wonderful concert. IM
Antoine Préat
Piano
[Review extract]
12
th
October
2023
saw
the
inaugural
concert
of
the
Society’s
65
th
Season,
with
a
breath-taking
performance
by
pianist
Antoine
Préat,
given
in
the
Assembly Room at Grimsby Town Hall.
With
much
appreciated
congeniality,
Antoine
introduced
Rameau’s
Suite
en
Sol
–
a
delightful
collection
of
8
short
contrasting
sketches.
A
lively
allegro
opening
was
contrasted
with
a
melodic,
sensitively
played
second
piece.
It
was
clear
that
the
piano
was
an
extension
of
Antoine.
The
7
th
movement
had
a
beautiful
impressionist
feel;
the
fast
final
movement
reminded
one
of
a
child
with
a
new
toy
–
in
this
case
Antoine
enjoying
the
Steinway.
The
sweet
tone
of
the
Steinway
was
brought
out
in
a
wonderfully
controlled
'Reflections
in
the
water'
(Debussy
Images
Book
1
)
with
contrasting
dynamics
and
a
marvellous
crescendo
in
a
rapid
cascade
of
notes.
Owning
Debussy’s
Tribute
to
Rameau
Antoine’s
moving
interpretation
went beyond the page.
Movement
felt like a ride that would not stop!
Following
the
interval,
Antoine
performed
Fauré’s
3
Songs
Without
Words
,
from
his
early
period
full
of
the
freshness
of
youth
–
feelings
captured
and
expressively
intimated
to
the
audience
by
Antoine
as
he
explored
the
full
dynamic
range
of
the
piano.
In
particular,
the
3
rd
movement
evoked
feelings of love and tenderness.
Schumann’s
quirky
Papillons
–
a
story
of
tricks
and
mischief
as
two
butterflies
wooing
a
female
seek
to
outdo
each
other,
was
played
with
fun,
panache
and
intensity,
always
assuredly
and
with
an
appropriate
sense
of
tongue-in-cheek.
The
final
set
of
the
concert
came
from
Debussy’s
Images
Book
II
.
Antoine’s
interpretation
of
Bells
Through
the
Leaves
was
ethereal,
with
a
delicate
balancing
of
bell-like
chimes
against
the
underlying
movement
–
Antoine
living
the
music!
As
Antoine
moved
through
The
Moon
Sets
Above
the
Temple
That
Was
,
and
onto
Gold-fish
–
there
was
a
sense
of
a
collective
holding
of
breath,
the
audience hanging on every note.
Antoine
offered
the
audience
a
choice
of
encore
with
Ravel
being
picked.
In
a
moving
end
to
the
concert,
he
played
a
piano
arrangement
of
Kaddish
-
impressionistic,
moving
between
sadness
and
wistfulness
to
a
determined and resolute finish. IM
