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.
- 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.