This album brings together three major orchestral works by John McCabe, composed between 1970 and 2007, and reflecting key strands of his musical thought. Symphony No. 2 unfolds as a tightly integrated single span, notable for its rhythmic energy, luminous orchestration and structural clarity. Symphony No. 3, Hommages, acknowledges McCabe’s lifelong engagement with the music of Haydn and Nielsen, blending quotation and allusion within a vibrant, tonal framework. The Cello Concerto Songline traces a continuous musical journey, combining virtuosity with introspective lyricism and a finely balanced orchestral palette.
John McCabe: Symphonies 2 & 3 and Cello Concerto
Kenneth Woods – Conductor
Raphael Wallfisch – Cello
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Release date: 24th July 2026
Catalogue number: SIGCD1007
Barcode: 635212100721
Symphony 2
[1] I. Vivo
[2] II. Andante
[3] III. Allegrissimo
[4] IV. Lento
[5] V. Vivo
Cello Concerto “Songline”
[6] I. Allegro vivace
[7] II. Adagio
[8] III. Allegro
Symphony No. 3 “Hommages”
[9] I. Flessible
[10] II. Adagio (Fantasia)
[11] III. Moderato (Fugue-Variations)