John McCabe is Dead

[ahinton]

And it figures: both were very much into Nielsen; but imv John was the more open to 20th century idioms as a whole. I remember his performance of the Webern Variations as part of a series on him, and the way that for me he transformed what had previously been an arid exercise into a study in elegance and consequence.

As a composer, for me in many ways he continued enriching the rich tradition of 20th century English symphonism, in particular in the luxuriant third symphony, where simple melody transforms, grows, and eventually builds up into something of great complexity, intellectual and emotional depth, while on the other hand Cloudcatcher could have been by a successor to the English Pastoral school. He is someone one somehow felt one could meet and be at ease with, and I considered him one of the few 20th century composers to have successfully continued writing tonal music, at the same time as managing to incorporate modernist ideas, right up to Lutoslawsky: a lesson for those who've elected to turn their backs.

What an apposite tribute! Very many thanks for this.

[EdgeleyRob]

Such sad news.
RIP John McCabe.

Concerto for Orchestra.
Chagall Windows (I was at the first performance in Manchester,1975,I would imagine other forumistas would have been there too).
A lovely cd of English Piano Music and pianist in much British chamber music.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Have never heard (or seen) Edward II; anyone know it?

In December the chamber music society I help run had a piano 4-hands concert by Joseph Tong and Waka Hasegawa that included McCabe's own arrangement of two movements from Edward II (The French Court and The Barons). It held the interest at the time but hasn't left any strong impression. To be honest this is easily explained: the whole concert was (1st half) Schubert F minor Fantasy, Debussy La mer; (2nd half) the McCabe followed by the Rite of Spring. Quite a programme!

After the above endorsements I must seek out his Chagall Windows. In the meantime this

will have to do for commemorative spinning chez LMP - warmly recommended.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

After the above endorsements I must seek out his Chagall Windows.

There is a link to a youTube "video" in #2 above to be getting on with, LMP.

In the meantime this

will have to do for commemorative spinning chez LMP - warmly recommended.

I had no idea that this disc existed - many thanks.

[Pulcinella]

I had no idea that this disc existed - many thanks.

Me either (neither?)!

I had forgotten that The Chagall Windows featured with the Concerto for Orchestra on an LPO release conducted by Haitink:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Arnold-Philharmonic-Concerto-Chagall-Windows/dp/B001HBX904/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1423906938&sr=1-1&keywords=Mccabe+chagall

I have the Classico RLPO/Bostock version of the Concerto for Orchestra:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gregson-Hoddinott-McCabe-Concertos-Orchestra/dp/B00005V917/ref=sr_1_4?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1423907790&sr=1-4&keywords=Mccabe+concerto

The EMI recording of The Chagall Windows is available (one copy) at a ridiculous price of £99.99 via the river people.
I wonder if it will be reissued, and if the original coupling (Hartmann Variations) will also resurface.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/McCabe-Chagall-Windows-Symphony-Notturni/dp/B000026BZO/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1423906938&sr=1-2&keywords=Mccabe+chagall

[ahinton]

Apparently his fellow composer Anthony Payne was interviewed about him on yesterday's edition of In Tune; I missed it because i didn;t know about it and so will have to trawl the programme to find it.

[mercia]

...... if you haven't found it already, mention of McCabe on In Tune starts at about 1'12" (one hour 12 minutes)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b051cmts

Payne after 1'15" ......... and Rafferty says McCabe will be talked about on Music Matters (today)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p020xlfv

[ahinton]

...... if you haven't found it already, mention of McCabe on In Tune starts at about 1'12" (one hour 12 minutes)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b051cmts

Payne after 1'15" ......... and Rafferty says McCabe will be talked about on Music Matters (today)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p020xlfv

Very many thanks; I've listened to it and will catch up with the Music Matters piece later.

[mercia]

Rafferty says McCabe will be talked about on Music Matters (today)

last 4 minutes of the programme .... an extract from this http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02jxz1w

[ahinton]

last 4 minutes of the programme .... an extract from this http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02jxz1w

...which I just caught; once again, many thanks for the prompt!

[Serial_Apologist]

Many thanks, mercs!

[peterthekeys]

John McCabe - vale

I've just seen the news on John McCabe's web site that he passed away in the early hours of 13/02:

http://www.johnmccabe.com/death-of-john-mccabe.htm

I'd been following the news on the web site (including Monica McCabe's extremely moving account of McCabe's battle with the brain tumour): it appeared that the treatment was more effective than hoped, but I still couldn't imagine that he had long to live. So sad - the news last week was that he was still managing to compose, in spite of the illness.

I've known his music for almost 40 years (I was introduced to it at college by my teacher Harold Truscott, who was a close friend of McCabe and greatly admired his music.) I've simply never heard a bad note by him, and I'm strongly of the opinion that he was one of the greatest composers of his generation - possibly the greatest. Hopefully R3 will play some of his music over the next few days and weeks - so at least we have that to look forward to.

[french frank]

peterthekeys

I've merged your thread with the existing one: many people here are sad at the loss. Yes, let's hope R3 does something to commemorate his work.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Hopefully R3 will play some of his music over the next few days and weeks - so at least we have that to look forward to.

We can, indeed, live in hope ptk.

I've known his music for almost 40 years (I was introduced to it at college by my teacher Harold Truscott, who was a close friend of McCabe and greatly admired his music.)

You wouldn't happen to be a Huddersfield alumnus, by any chance?

[peterthekeys]

peterthekeys

I've merged your thread with the existing one: many people here are sad at the loss. Yes, let's hope R3 does something to commemorate his work.

Thanks for that - I should have checked to see if there already was a thread on this topic before starting a new one.