Martin Jones

Gál
Piano Sonata, Op 28. Piano Suite, Op 24. Two Sonatinas,
Op 58. Three Sketches, Op 7. Three Small Pieces,
Op 64. 24 Preludes, Op 83. Three Preludes, Op65
Martin Jones pf
Nimbus NI 5751/2 (140’ • DDD)

Gál
Concertinob. Toccata, Op 29. Zwei Geistliche
Gesänge, Op 21a• Prelude and Fugue in A flat.
Phantasie, Arioso and Capriccio
aAdrineh Simonian sop bDavid Pennetzdorfer vc
István Mátyás org bVienna Academy Orchestra /
Martin Haselböck
Membran 60162 (62’ • DDD • T)

Piano music, coupled as above —selected comparison:
McCawley (11/05) (AVIE) AV2064

Two excellent surveys of Gal’s keyboard music in committed performances

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Hans Gál, the last great exponent of the Viennese Classical tradition, which no doubt accounts for the release of these two fine issues. The larger offering, ironically, is the lesser in a sense because where Membran’s single disc contains all of Gal’s organ works, Nimbus’s twofer only gives us two-thirds (in duration) of his published output for piano two hands, omitting the 24 Fugues (1980) included in Avie’s complete set. Second recordings for what they do include are most welcome and no less than the music deserves, but Martin Jones’s otherwise splendid interpretations are at a competitive disadvantage compared to Avie.

And that is a shame because he clearly has the measure of the repertoire, both its technical demands as well as the nuances of Gal’s style. McCawley on the whole does play with the greater fluency and is markedly swifter throughout. I prefer his choices of tempi mostly, for example in the fine Sonata (1928) and two Sonatinas (1949-51), though Jones surely has the Grave marking of the E minor 10th Prelude correct — taking a minute longer than his younger rival — and his handling of the last of the Three Sketches (1910-11) has a shade more aplomb. Elsewhere honours are fairly even, the main distinctive feature between the two sets being the recorded sound. Nimbus’s is the more recessed within a resonant acoustic whereas Avie produced a more focused and sharper audio image. The music sounds terrific in both.

In his youth Gál had been a competent organist so it is no surprise he used the instrument often. The major item on István Mátyás’s disc — though not the longest — is the Toccata (1928), revealing Gál the thinker in large structures. Neither the Prelude and Fugue nor Phantasie, Arioso and Capriccio (both written in 1956 but not assigned opus numbers) scale the same heights, delightful pieces as they are. The 1948 Concertino is thoroughly engaging with real charm. Membran’s SACD recording is good though not sensational, although in the Two Sacred Songs (1923) - which provide welcome textual variation - soprano Adrineh Simonian is placed too far forward. The performances are uniformly fine in a most welcome addition to the catalogue.

Guy Rickards

GRAMOPHONE, June 2007 87

	Review of Martin Jones: Hans Gál Piano Music
	Gál Piano Sonata, Op 28. Piano Suite, Op 24. Two Sonatinas, Op 58. Three Sketches, Op 7. Three Small Pieces, Op 64. 24 Preludes, Op 83. Three Preludes, Op65 Martin Jones pf Nimbus NI 5751/2 (140’ • DDD) Gál Concertinob. Toccata, Op 29. Zwei Geistliche Gesänge, Op 21a• Prelude and Fugue in A flat. Phantasie, Arioso and Capriccio aAdrineh Simonian sop bDavid Pennetzdorfer vc István Mátyás org bVienna Academy Orchestra / Martin Haselböck Membran 60162 (62’ • DDD • T) Piano music, coupled as above —selected comparison: McCawley (11/05) (AVIE) AV2064 Two excellent surveys of Gal’s keyboard music in committed performances This year marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Hans Gál, the last great exponent of the Viennese Classical tradition, which no doubt accounts for the release of these two fine issues. The larger offering, ironically, is the lesser in a sense because where Membran’s single disc contains all of Gal’s organ works, Nimbus’s twofer only gives us two-thirds (in duration) of his published output for piano two hands, omitting the 24 Fugues (1980) included in Avie’s complete set. Second recordings for what they do include are most welcome and no less than the music deserves, but Martin Jones’s otherwise splendid interpretations are at a competitive disadvantage compared to Avie. And that is a shame because he clearly has the measure of the repertoire, both its technical demands as well as the nuances of Gal’s style. McCawley on the whole does play with the greater fluency and is markedly swifter throughout. I prefer his choices of tempi mostly, for example in the fine Sonata (1928) and two Sonatinas (1949-51), though Jones surely has the Grave marking of the E minor 10th Prelude correct — taking a minute longer than his younger rival — and his handling of the last of the Three Sketches (1910-11) has a shade more aplomb. Elsewhere honours are fairly even, the main distinctive feature between the two sets being the recorded sound. Nimbus’s is the more recessed within a resonant acoustic whereas Avie produced a more focused and sharper audio image. The music sounds terrific in both. In his youth Gál had been a competent organist so it is no surprise he used the instrument often. The major item on István Mátyás’s disc — though not the longest — is the Toccata (1928), revealing Gál the thinker in large structures. Neither the Prelude and Fugue nor Phantasie, Arioso and Capriccio (both written in 1956 but not assigned opus numbers) scale the same heights, delightful pieces as they are. The 1948 Concertino is thoroughly engaging with real charm. Membran’s SACD recording is good though not sensational, although in the Two Sacred Songs (1923) - which provide welcome textual variation - soprano Adrineh Simonian is placed too far forward. The performances are uniformly fine in a most welcome addition to the catalogue. Guy Rickards GRAMOPHONE, June 2007 87