Detailed Reviews [Pablo Sangineto - 2005 - "Constelaciones"]

Prolusion. Pablo Sangineto was the keyboardist for Omnia, progressive rock band from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Omnia has two full-length releases, "Ultimo Generador de Equilibrio" (2000) and "Hormonal". No longer with Omnia, this is Sangineto's first solo work.

Analysis. "Constelaciones" (Constellations) is a collection of twelve piano solos, all simply numbered as parts, played without accompaniment, except for two which feature flutist, Rodrigo Sokolsky (Parts VI & VII). Stylistically, the first few cuts sound something like a blend of Jazz artist, Keith Jarrett, and New Age pianist, Liz Story. The tone is rich and somewhat melancholy for much of the album, although on Part IV the restful, peaceful flow of the compositions is interrupted, the piece becoming more active and agitated. Parts IV & V bear some resemblance to the compositions of the late 19th Century French Impressionist composers, Satie and Debussy. The right hand becomes much more energetic through these than the earlier, more sedate pieces. Toward the end of Part V, I began to imagine rain falling on a Japanese Garden, causing the Koi to swim madly about. Part VI returns to a more soothing form and melody, with the flute of Sokolsky providing the melody, which playfully darting about over the piano work. For VII, Sangineto is the composer only, with Sokolsky's flute the only voice of his composition. It is like a cadenza, very fluid, starting slowly, but then taking flight like a butterfly flitting and fluttering over flowers, alighting for a moment here and then sailing off to another blossom a moment or two later. This is not a mad dash, like Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumble Bee, but a graceful and fleeting flicker, one of the shortest pieces, penultimate in length. VIII - XII return to solo piano, XI especially playful and disjointed, again sounding very much like the tone poems of the French Impressionists. XII frames the pieces with a return to a gentler gait, more akin to those at the beginning of the album, but then builds into a dramatic finale, with a much more majestic air than its predecessors. Some of the strongest left hand is used here. XII definitely punctuates "Constelaciones" with an exclamation point.

Conclusion. "Constelaciones" is a strong solo work from Pablo Sangineto, a progressive rock keyboardist who shows himself to be versatile and accomplished in a more "classical", salon setting. The album is relatively short, with most of the compositions clocking in under five minutes, though this is not necessarily a complaint. The dictum of Mies van der Rohe ("less is more") can also apply to music, and Sangineto demonstrates a clarity and simplicity in his compositions, though never churning out simple melodies. (Warning to the strictly rock enthusiast, this is not rock, progressive or otherwise.) Recommended for the broad-minded listener, particularly those who have an affinity for solo piano (and flute) a mostly gentle nature. There is no bombast here; this is quiet contemplative music.

KW: Agst 27, 2005