John Mccabe (1939- )

Series

Episode

First
Broadcast

Comments

2009

20090525

Donald Macleod meets British composer, pianist, writer and critic John McCabe, who performs in the studio and discusses his life at the age of 70.

McCabe plays his own recent Study No 7 (Snowfall in Winter), introduces a Merseybeat-influenced work for recorder and strings, and discusses his early years growing up in Liverpool and working with John Barbirolli's great Halle orchestra.

Study No 7 (Evening Harmonies: Hommage a Dukas, 2000)

John McCabe (piano)

SPECIALLY RECORDED

Variations on A Theme of Karl Amadeus Hartmann (1964)

James Loughran (conductor)

EMI CDM7631762, Trs 13-19

Domestic Life (1969/2000)

John Turner (recorder)

Royal Ballet Sinfonia

Gavin Sutherland (conductor)

WHITE LINE CD WHL 2143, Tr 6

Concerto Funebre (1962)

Sarah-Jane Bradley (viola)

Orchestra Nova

George Vass (conductor)

DUTTON CDLX 7186, Tr 3.

Donald Macleod presents John McCabe discussing his early years and his work with the Halle

2009

20090526

Donald Macleod meets British composer, pianist, writer and critic John McCabe, who performs in the studio and discusses his life at the age of 70.

McCabe performs Nielsen's Chaconne for piano, a work that got him into hot water as a young student, and talks to Donald about his love of variation form - what he describes as 'playing games with notes' - as we hear his Concertante Variations on A Theme of Nicholas Maw.

McCabe: Folk Song No 3 (John Peel) for soprano, clarinet and piano, Op 19 (1963)

Martin Hindmarsh (tenor)

Nicholas Turner (clarinet)

Alan Cuckston (piano)

CAMEO CAMEO2021, Trs 22-24

Nielsen: Chaconne, Op 32

John McCabe (piano)

SPECIALLY RECORDED

Concertante Variations on a theme of Nicholas Maw (1970)

St Christopher Chamber Orchestra

Donatas Katkus (conductor)

DUTTON CDLX 7133, Trs 7-12

Concerto for piano and wind quintet (1969)

The Fibonacci Sequence

DUTTON CDLX 7125, Trs 1-5.

Donald Macleod presents McCabe performing and talking about his love of variation form.

2009

20090527

Donald Macleod meets British composer, pianist, writer and critic John McCabe, who performs in the studio and discusses his life at the age of 70.

McCabe talks about his great love of the music of Haydn, one of Radio 3's Composers of the Year in 2009. As well as an excerpt from Haydn's celebrated complete sonatas recording, McCabe performs his own Lamentation Rag, written to mark Haydn's 250th birthday in 1982.

McCabe: Lamentation Rag (1982)

John McCabe (piano)

SPECIALLY RECORDED

Haydn: Sonata No 13 in G, Hob XVI 6 (excerpt)

LONDON 4437852 Disc 2, Tr 12

McCabe: String Quartet No 4 (1982)

Vanbrugh Quartet

HYPERION CDA67078, Tr 17

McCabe: Concerto for orchestra (1982)

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Georg Solti (conductor)

LPO LPO0023, Trs 1-5.

Donald Macleod presents McCabe talking about his great love for Haydn's music.

2009

20090528

Donald Macleod meets British composer, pianist, writer and critic John McCabe, who performs in the studio and discusses his life at the age of 70.

McCabe talks about the challenges of writing for particular players. There is a recording of Scenes in America Deserta, composed for the King's Singers, and the Flute Concerto, originally written for James Galway. Plus two more of the composer's recent studies for piano - one performed in the studio by McCabe himself, and one by his great friend, and dedicatee of both pieces, Japanese pianist Tamami Honma.

McCabe: Study No 9: Snowfall in Winter (Hommage a Debussy)

John McCabe (piano)

SPECIALLY RECORDED

McCabe: Study No 8: Scrunch (Omaggio a Domenico Scarlatti, 2000-1)

Tamami Honma (piano)

METIER MSVCD92071, Tr 7

Copland: Danzon Cubano, for two pianos

Tamami Honma, John McCabe (pianos)

DUTTON CDSA6881, Tr 1

Mc Cabe: Silence, Heat and Light I; Cycling (Scenes in America Deserta - 1987); Cosanti (Buildings and Works of Man)

MERIDIAN CDE84550, Tr 2

McCabe: Concerto for flute and orchestra (1989-90)

Emily Beynon (flute)

BBC Symphony Orchestra

Vernon Handley (conductor)

HYPERION CDA67089, Tr 13-22.

Donald Macleod talks to John McCabe about the challenges of composing music for others.

2009

05 LAST

20090529

Donald Macleod meets British composer, pianist, writer and critic John McCabe, who performs in the studio and discusses his life at the age of 70. Donald talks to McCabe about a number of new works he is premiering, asking what the future holds as a composer and performer.

Including McCabe's Pilgrim for string orchestra - inspired by his love of the music of Vaughan Williams - the Double Concerto for clarinet and oboe, and the composer himself performing 10th study for piano, Tunstall Chimes.

McCabe: Gwaithla Brook (Two Gladestry Quatrains - 2003/2005)

Gillian Keith (soprano)

Simon Lepper (piano)

METRONOME METCD1065, Tr 2

McCabe: Study No 10 (Tunstall Chimes - Hommage a Ravel, 2004)

John McCabe (piano)

SPECIALLY RECORDED

McCabe: Pilgrim, for double string orchestra (1998)

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Christopher Austin (conductor)

DUTTON CDLX 7179, Tr 9

McCabe: Concerto for oboe and clarinet (1987-8)

Jennifer Galloway (oboe)

John Bradbury (clarinet)

BBC Philharmonic

Clark Rundell (conductor)

BBC Archive.

Donald Macleod talks to John McCabe about his future as a composer and a performer.

Episodes

Series	Episode	First Broadcast	Comments
2009	01	20090525	Donald Macleod meets British composer, pianist, writer and critic John McCabe, who performs in the studio and discusses his life at the age of 70. McCabe plays his own recent Study No 7 (Snowfall in Winter), introduces a Merseybeat-influenced work for recorder and strings, and discusses his early years growing up in Liverpool and working with John Barbirolli's great Halle orchestra. Study No 7 (Evening Harmonies: Hommage a Dukas, 2000) John McCabe (piano) SPECIALLY RECORDED Variations on A Theme of Karl Amadeus Hartmann (1964) James Loughran (conductor) EMI CDM7631762, Trs 13-19 Domestic Life (1969/2000) John Turner (recorder) Royal Ballet Sinfonia Gavin Sutherland (conductor) WHITE LINE CD WHL 2143, Tr 6 Concerto Funebre (1962) Sarah-Jane Bradley (viola) Orchestra Nova George Vass (conductor) DUTTON CDLX 7186, Tr 3. Donald Macleod presents John McCabe discussing his early years and his work with the Halle
2009	02	20090526	Donald Macleod meets British composer, pianist, writer and critic John McCabe, who performs in the studio and discusses his life at the age of 70. McCabe performs Nielsen's Chaconne for piano, a work that got him into hot water as a young student, and talks to Donald about his love of variation form - what he describes as 'playing games with notes' - as we hear his Concertante Variations on A Theme of Nicholas Maw. McCabe: Folk Song No 3 (John Peel) for soprano, clarinet and piano, Op 19 (1963) Martin Hindmarsh (tenor) Nicholas Turner (clarinet) Alan Cuckston (piano) CAMEO CAMEO2021, Trs 22-24 Nielsen: Chaconne, Op 32 John McCabe (piano) SPECIALLY RECORDED Concertante Variations on a theme of Nicholas Maw (1970) St Christopher Chamber Orchestra Donatas Katkus (conductor) DUTTON CDLX 7133, Trs 7-12 Concerto for piano and wind quintet (1969) The Fibonacci Sequence DUTTON CDLX 7125, Trs 1-5. Donald Macleod presents McCabe performing and talking about his love of variation form.
2009	03	20090527	Donald Macleod meets British composer, pianist, writer and critic John McCabe, who performs in the studio and discusses his life at the age of 70. McCabe talks about his great love of the music of Haydn, one of Radio 3's Composers of the Year in 2009. As well as an excerpt from Haydn's celebrated complete sonatas recording, McCabe performs his own Lamentation Rag, written to mark Haydn's 250th birthday in 1982. McCabe: Lamentation Rag (1982) John McCabe (piano) SPECIALLY RECORDED Haydn: Sonata No 13 in G, Hob XVI 6 (excerpt) LONDON 4437852 Disc 2, Tr 12 McCabe: String Quartet No 4 (1982) Vanbrugh Quartet HYPERION CDA67078, Tr 17 McCabe: Concerto for orchestra (1982) London Philharmonic Orchestra Georg Solti (conductor) LPO LPO0023, Trs 1-5. Donald Macleod presents McCabe talking about his great love for Haydn's music.
2009	04	20090528	Donald Macleod meets British composer, pianist, writer and critic John McCabe, who performs in the studio and discusses his life at the age of 70. McCabe talks about the challenges of writing for particular players. There is a recording of Scenes in America Deserta, composed for the King's Singers, and the Flute Concerto, originally written for James Galway. Plus two more of the composer's recent studies for piano - one performed in the studio by McCabe himself, and one by his great friend, and dedicatee of both pieces, Japanese pianist Tamami Honma. McCabe: Study No 9: Snowfall in Winter (Hommage a Debussy) John McCabe (piano) SPECIALLY RECORDED McCabe: Study No 8: Scrunch (Omaggio a Domenico Scarlatti, 2000-1) Tamami Honma (piano) METIER MSVCD92071, Tr 7 Copland: Danzon Cubano, for two pianos Tamami Honma, John McCabe (pianos) DUTTON CDSA6881, Tr 1 Mc Cabe: Silence, Heat and Light I; Cycling (Scenes in America Deserta - 1987); Cosanti (Buildings and Works of Man) MERIDIAN CDE84550, Tr 2 McCabe: Concerto for flute and orchestra (1989-90) Emily Beynon (flute) BBC Symphony Orchestra Vernon Handley (conductor) HYPERION CDA67089, Tr 13-22. Donald Macleod talks to John McCabe about the challenges of composing music for others.
2009	05 LAST	20090529	Donald Macleod meets British composer, pianist, writer and critic John McCabe, who performs in the studio and discusses his life at the age of 70. Donald talks to McCabe about a number of new works he is premiering, asking what the future holds as a composer and performer. Including McCabe's Pilgrim for string orchestra - inspired by his love of the music of Vaughan Williams - the Double Concerto for clarinet and oboe, and the composer himself performing 10th study for piano, Tunstall Chimes. McCabe: Gwaithla Brook (Two Gladestry Quatrains - 2003/2005) Gillian Keith (soprano) Simon Lepper (piano) METRONOME METCD1065, Tr 2 McCabe: Study No 10 (Tunstall Chimes - Hommage a Ravel, 2004) John McCabe (piano) SPECIALLY RECORDED McCabe: Pilgrim, for double string orchestra (1998) BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Christopher Austin (conductor) DUTTON CDLX 7179, Tr 9 McCabe: Concerto for oboe and clarinet (1987-8) Jennifer Galloway (oboe) John Bradbury (clarinet) BBC Philharmonic Clark Rundell (conductor) BBC Archive. Donald Macleod talks to John McCabe about his future as a composer and a performer.