Search - Gary Stegall :: Jongen: Piano Music

Extremely musical piano playing and lovely little known work

David DeLucia | East Haddam, Ct. United States | 05/29/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The only previous exposure I've had to Jongen was through a rather

bombastic Symphonie-Concertante for organ and orchestra and some

pleasant, if rather insipid music for flute and piano. His piano

music however, is altogether of a higher quality and well worth a

listen.



This CD is not "new" , just new to me and was recorded in the early 90's. 72 minutes of music is

offered and one wishes it would never end. I also had never heard of

Gary Stegall, but he emerges as one of the most colorful, sensitive

pianists I've ever experienced, like Gieseking with more solid finger

technique.



The opening piece, Clair de Lune, is not at all like Debussy's work

of the same name. The first 4 minutes sound a bit like Ravel's Le

Gibet with a luscious melody in the treble. After that point a

sensuous climax takes one's breath away in its pure beauty. Even my

father, who suffers from Alzheimers', liked this piece and he

responds to very little these days.



Stegall follows Clair de Lune with Soleil A Midi, an ebullient, happy

work which sounds like a killer to play. It is somewhat like

Debussy's Danse on steroids, and has few moments of repose. Stegall

plays the spots off of this virtuosic work, and his performance is

unlikely to be bettered anytime soon.



Next is Sarabande Triste. Here, we are in the same sound world of

the Ravel Pavane, but with even more poignancy. The first time I

heard this, I had to pull my car over to the side of the road so I

could more fully concentrate on it. The opening is simple and suave,

yet with such great feeling you just can't stop listening to it. The

next six minutes are miraculous, I will leave you to experience the

piece yourself -prepare to be shattered!



Angoisse is a passionate, disturbing piece, like angry waters

preceeding a flood. Impressionistic music at its best, and somewhat

like Griffes The Fountain of the Acqua Paola, but even more over the

top if that's possible. This piece would make a fabulous encore, and

I'm surprised it is rarely if ever programmed.



I really responded to the following Giovenzza. It has a mysterious

other worldly quality a bit like Debussy's Engulfed Cathedral. Yet,

the harmonies and progressions are Jongen's own, somewhat like parts

of Ravel Pavane but different. Throughout this Cd there are echoes of

Faure, Debussy, Ravel, and Poulenc, and yet Jongen manages to remain

slightly off the beaten path!



Papillions Noirs probably owes the most to Debussy, being a bit like

Gardens in The Rain. It is a bit too notey for my taste and emerges

as the weakest piece on the CD.



The following Nostalgique is like a perfumed whorehouse, with its

whiffs of decadent harmony and melody. I see the influence of De

Severac here, or perhaps Ravel's Le Gibet again with "prettier"

harmonies. The ending is truly lovely.



Appassionata is the shortest work on the CD, and is more lively than

passionate. The work is mini toccata of sorts, and Stegall certainly

gets all the drama out of it!



Poir Danser is a pleasant Satie like piece that sounds like the

technically easiest piece to play on this CD. Again, this would make

a nice opening to an all French recital if pianists could be

encouraged to program it!



Air de Fetes is a real tour de fource and Stegall does not

disappoint. This work has a distinct Spanish influence and sounds

like a combination of Albeniz, Debussy, and De Falla, if you can

imagine that! The second theme is absolutely beautiful, and Jongen's

treatment of it gives me goosebumps.



The major work on this Cd is Suite in the form of a Sonata, Opus 60.

featuring 4 movements, the entire affair is nearly 30 minutes. But

what a half hour! The opening Sonatine is 8 minutes of fascinating

pianism, somewhat like the first movement of Ravel's work of the same

name but with more variety, from the lowest of lows to the highest of

highs. The second theme reminds me of Chopin's 3rd Scherzo of all

things, with the delicately falling trickling treble. With the

second movement, La Neige Sur La, we are in the sound world of

Debussy's Footprints in the Snow. Yet Jongen's treatment of the

snowy musical landscape is more extended, with some fascinating side

trips along the way. The third movement, Menuet Danse is probably

the weakest, hardly rising above merely pleasant. However, the last

section, Rondeau is extraordinary, and sounds amazingly difficult to

play. Here, the main theme is bouncy and irresistable...and what

Jongen does to it tickles the senses as well as the ivories. This

entire Suite could almost be the second half of a recital, and is

well worth the exploration of an advanced very musical pianist.



Gary Stegall is born to play this kind of music, and I can't think of

anything to offer that could make his playing any better. In terms

of tone production, balancing melody/accompaniment, voicing chords,

he pretty much is beyond criticism and picky old me rarely says that!!



I will try to put some of the shorter pieces in the files with the

caveat that the longer pieces are even better.





A MUST for anyone that responds to French piano music, I play this in

my car constantly.



Dave De Lucia



"

A little gem.

Jacques H. | Lausanne, Switzerland | 04/20/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I recently ordered this CD, trusting both the laudatory comments already made about it and a brief extract (from the recorded pieces) I had found on the Internet. And the least I can say is that I don't regret my purchase. This CD is a little gem, not to be missed."