Antoine Préat
PRESS
Diapason 5/5
Antoine Préat was, among others, a student of Ludmila Berlinskaïa, Philippe Cassard, Boris Berman, and Cédric Pescia. At twenty-six, the pianist shows with this debut album that he possesses not only the art of programming but also the ability to interpret. In the youthful Romances sans paroles, an obvious homage to Mendelssohn, it is clearly Fauré that he brings to life, with his sinuous contours, light and diffuse effervescence.
Far from the heavy interpretations (Pennetier) or rigid ones (Rogé), Préat combines generosity, warmth of tone, and eloquence, highlighting the middle voices with skill. In Rameau's Suite in G major, although he does not quite capture the richness and vitality (like Tharaud’s L'Égyptienne) of the piece, one can admire the beauty of his proportions and nuances (L'Enharmonique). Enigmatic and spectral, Debussy’s Hommage à Rameau fits better with the performer’s subtle restraint.
Reflets dans l'eau could benefit from more sparkle and light, but a refined and precise gesture, along with a masterful layering of timbres, is at work in Cloches à travers les feuilles. A lovely idea to include Enigme: these three melodies by Karol Beffa, set to texts by Rousseau, Verlaine, and Susie Morgenstern, sound like pure distillations in Marie Oppert’s voice. Conversely, in the piano-only version, in Siloti’s arrangement, Préat unravels Ravel’s Kaddisch, whose singular sonorities provide a noble conclusion to this fine recital.
Le Nouvel Obs 5/5
Hear ye, hear ye, promoters, agents, festival directors!
Antoine Préat, a 27 year old pianist, is the unmissable new talent of the season !
Never had I heard Rameau played with such lightness, such bite and volubility (“La Poule”), a sense of intimate poetry distilled in a infinitely delicate touch (“les Triolets” and “L’Enharmonique”.)
Both books of Debussy’s “Images”reveal him to be an extensive master of colours, both orchestral and singing the melancholy of “Hommage a Rameau” and “Cloches a travers les feuilles”).
“Mouvements” starts at full speed, but with such bravura ! Fauré’s “Romances” full of charm and vocality, Ravel/Siloti’s “Kaddish” is poignant, Beffa’s miniatures deliciously murmured by soprano Marie Oppert : this is a great disc.
Concerts please, and quickly !
Classica Mag 4/5
The title “All That Surrounds us” is more explicit than one might think. Antoine Préat rightly believes that each piece in this entirely French program reacts, in one way or another, to the world surrounding the composer. We thus find a mix of familiar works that are characteristic of each composer’s moment of evolution. With Rameau’s Suite in G major and Debussy’s Images, we are at the heart of their respective aesthetics. Fauré’s Romances sans paroles are a youthful reaction to German Romanticism. Ravel’s Kaddish, a harmonization of a Jewish chant transcribed for piano by Alexander Siloti, is a gesture of sympathy toward a marginalized culture. As for the three charming melodies by Karol Beffa scattered throughout the program, they belong to the rich tradition of French melody, breaking with the contemporary norms of text treatment.
The texts also respond to the piano pieces: Rousseau precedes Rameau, Verlaine comes before Debussy, and Susie Morgenstern follows Ravel. But the essence is not in the program itself. Through this young Franco-British pianist, we discover a very original talent. His approach to classical works is highly personal, free, light, very clear, and at times even infused with humor, especially in his Rameau. As for Marie Oppert, Révélation lyrique at the 2021 Victoires de la musique, she demonstrates a beautiful sense of words and musical phrasing.
— Jacques Bonnaure
Concert Review by Christopher Axworthy
"A superb technical control and a kaleidoscopic sense of colour allied to a sumptuous sense of balance brought a radiance and immediacy to all that he did."
Concert Review
La Nouvelle République (Nohant Festival)
"Malgré son jeune âge, Antoine Préat semble saisir toute la palette des passions humaines."
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