San Juan Suite is a spectacular and deeply moving tour de force of classical pianism. Gettel plays the piano as if it were a guitar, with the same elasticity and frenzy. His goal is to capture the feeling behind a landscape, but in reality Gettel conveys much more, often creating a musical photograph of the scenery (made even more vivid by his restrained use of natural sounds). The Suite opens in the most thunderous fashion with the tumultuous harmonies of Sucia, propelled by an overwhelming crescendo and energized by an imitation of birds in flight. No less driving is Orcas, which is also the album's most jazz-inflected piece.

The reissue (Narada, 1998) adds The Kelpie and Watercolors.

Far from being languid like much of new age music, Gettel's music is full of rhythm, bursting with vitality, a tidal wave of sound. Gettel shuns the idyllic atmosphere of the rural world, embracing instead the enthusiasm and frenzy of the city.

There is no shortage of more introspective moments, from the gentle Whalesong to the minimalist fade-out of Drifting, which closes the album. But perhaps the finest example of his refined and intricate style is the iridescent music-box quality of Summer Rain.

Subsequently, Gettel gradually ventured into music for small ensembles, achieving results that were both lyrical and spectacular.

Intricate Balance orchestrates Gettel's exuberant piano flights for electronics and chamber duos or trios. However, the use of the synthesizer is still somewhat crude, and the acoustic instruments interfere with his piano more than they complement it. The album seems to wander aimlessly, from the measured pop of When Two Hearts Meet and Prayers On The Wind to the austere chamber music of Portrait. The themes of the title track and Through Zach's Eyes reveal that something of the youthful impetuosity of San Juan Suite has been irretrievably lost, although it has been replaced by a more lyrical melodic sensibility.

Return (Sona Gaia, 1990) includes the singable theme of Flight for piano and oboe.

Places In Time, inspired by his memories, once again excels at musical landscapes, whether the humble scenery of River Run or the epic vistas of Winter's Twilight, thanks in part to the accompaniment of Nancy Rumbel on oboe and Kostia and David Arkenstone on synthesizer.

Skywatching boasts an even more impressive roster of distinguished guests, from Rumbel to guitarist Paul Speer, as well as an excellent rhythm section. This wealth of resources culminates in the duet with David Lanz, First Snow, but formulaic pop now dominates unchallenged, from Anasazi Road to Scent Of Rain. The piano is relegated to the background by the synthesizer. The gentle pop-jazz of the title track and Where The Road Meets The Sky points toward a future in which Gettel would become little more than a facile popularizer of his own style. Thus he ultimately arrived at precisely the sort of new age banality from which his debut album had been completely free.

The Key is a highly personal collection, although by now Gettel is accompanied by an army of friends. Sincere as the spirit behind the dedications may be, the music remains too generic to be genuinely moving. Only in the contemplative moments of Glimmer Of Hope and Light Of A Candle does Gettel truly engage the listener. By contrast, the predictable little tunes of Turning Of A Key and When Hearts Collide, together with their virtually programmed arrangements, are too superficial. The experiments with vocals and hip-hop confirm the confused state in which his inspiration is floundering.

On the whole, the casual impressions of The Art of Nature, a soundtrack for a video of natural landscapes, are more successful. At the very least, Gettel showcases the full range of his musical vocabulary, from the delicate melody of Light On The Land, passed from instrument to instrument, to the romantic lullaby When All Is Quiet, carried by ethereal humming, and the ambient music of Shelter. Once again, however, the lion's share belongs to the more vigorous pieces, whether rock (Watershed) or fusion (Fire From The Sky), with the electric guitar becoming ever more lively and overpowering.

Unlike many rather unsophisticated new age pianists, Gettel never sacrificed technique. His music is simple and lyrical, yet anything but banal. However, the pianist never managed to repeat the miracle of his first work, and the electronic musician proved nowhere near its level.

Winter (Narada, 1997) is a thematic anthology of arranged pieces plus some unreleased piano tracks (the rich tapestry of Black Diamonds, the long fantasias of Aspens In January, Lantern in the Dark and Coldest Night of the Year).

The Celtic concept The Journey North (Narada, 1999), played by a loud ensemble with synthesizer and drums, is unusually extroverted (bordering on rock'n'roll for Ceud Mile Failte, on Afro-blues for Columcille's Dream and on folk-jazz for Galloway). Gettel returns to his relaxed tone only for a few moments (Cumbrian Autumn), but mostly the trip to the Celtic lands seem to have corrupted his innocence (the last stage, Reaching Iona, is simply a very urban, decadent and capitalist take on lounge music).