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John McCabe: Symphonies 2 & 3 and Cello Concerto album review – writing of enormous scope and colour
This album brings together John McCabe’s Symphony No 2 with the first recordings of his 2007 Cello Concerto, Songline, and 1978 Symphony No 3, Hommages. The reviewer argues that the late British pianist and composer deserves wider recognition, praising the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conductor Kenneth Woods and cellist Raphael Wallfisch for performances that reveal the music’s range and clarity.
Symphony No 2, completed in 1971, is described as tense and concerned with recurring violence, while Songline is restless and searching, drawing its title from ancient Aboriginal pathways. McCabe’s orchestration is praised for retaining lucid, distinct textures despite its colour and scale; Symphony No 3 is portrayed as richer and more densely layered, with references to Haydn and Nielsen alongside echoes of Shostakovich and Strauss.
In short
- New recordings make a strong case for John McCabe’s wider recognition.
- The performances are vivid, expressive and finely detailed.
- McCabe’s music combines large-scale colour with unusual clarity.
Explained simply
John McCabe was a British pianist and composer who lived through most of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. His orchestral works have not always received widespread attention, but this new recording brings together several of his major pieces, including some recorded for the first time, which critics argue deserve greater recognition.
The album features two symphonies written in the 1970s and a cello concerto from 2007. McCabe's second symphony is marked by tension and dark themes, whilst his Cello Concerto, titled Songline, is restless and draws its inspiration from ancient Aboriginal pathways. His third symphony, composed later, is denser and more layered, referencing classical composers including Haydn and Nielsen whilst also echoing Shostakovich and Strauss.
The orchestra is the BBC Scottish Symphony, conducted by Kenneth Woods, with cellist Raphael Wallfisch performing the concerto. They are praised in the review for revealing the clarity within McCabe's complex orchestrations, allowing listeners to appreciate the full range of colour and scale in his compositional writing.