Piano Concert 4 hands 2 pianos

On Friday I was reluctant to travel for 50 minutes to a concert but after a beautiful productively busy day when I was rewarded by a long walk and apricot tartlet I decided to go.  It was fun and the standard was extremely high.  The two pianists were Russian.  Yes, 4 hands playing two Steinway grand pianos facing each other in a 'being-renovated' stable block belonging to the Château de Crémault, on the banks of the River Vienne at Bonneuil-Matours.  For many years I wanted to go to the concerts but not drive the distance. I made it and how glad I was.  I arrived to find people standing in the dark... aha ... this is a French thing... this happened to me the last time I went to a concert a few weeks ago.  I am told that the time of the concert has altered and would I like some tea.  Tea never arrived but our group was ushered into the private chateau where we were shown the art on display.  I found the textile sculptures of African women fascinating and longed to be able to do that sort of thing.  We were in the back three rooms of the castle with a view of the river, if it were not night.  Beautiful, simple but not rich, paneled walls on which hung abstract paintings of 'sort of one colour' until up close you could see the texture and different hue of paint daubed onto the surface.  There was a marvelous table around which were 18 chairs!  Imagine sitting there in Georgian style.  I liked another table on which were silver plates, glass containers, candles, dried lavender flowers, bottles of liquor, glasses, huge vases of champagne corks, a pottery angel, a cornucopia of walnuts, a panoply of peacock feathers,  and much else besides on the table, under the table and around the table set against the wall with a mirror to reflect the bazaar.  After listening to our host we were taken outside to the ancient orangery where no orange flowers bloomed but his paintings of the sea hung on the wall. He elaborated in detail before confessing they were his.  I liked them very much but my interest was transfixed to the dilapidated, open window.....

It was time to buy my ticket and choose a seat... oh with difficulty.... two grand pianos facing each other and seats on all sides of the pianos.....  I sat by the window but later moved when the ladies played 4 hands at one piano.   I was in awe. Yes they had music scores but the quality of the pianistic skill was impressive, certainly of any city concert hall. How could they play so fast AND turn those pages over? They played Liszt, Schumann, Chopin, Ravel, Messiaen, and William Walton"s Valse from Façade.  I couldn't get a play list.

Afterwards we were invited to have a glass of wine and were served sweet biscuits which gave an opportunity for people to mingle. I was surprised to be speaking to our host, the painter who had given us the arrival tour.  It must be costing an absolute fortune to renovate one of the two stable blocks with oak flooring much the same as mine and then have the cost of the  ceilings, lighting, "candlearbres" (how do you spell that word? aha ... candleabras - it looks so strange when I know that les arbres are trees and les bras are arms!)  as well as heating for the regular concerts. Do they own these two pianos or are they hired?   Whatever ... I had a wonderful evening, returning at midnight, and enjoyed an experience again like no other in England or in France.  The ticket for such musicianship was 16e. I can't afford to go to their weekly concerts but I shall definitely think about making the effort more often.