Howells' Clavichord


Others have written eloquently about John McCabe who died yesterday. I would like to add my own small tribute to his talent as a pianist by reminding readers of his recording of Herbert Howells' two books of keyboard pieces, Lambert's Clavichord and Howells' Clavichord. These affectionate musical tributes by Howells to, among others, Malcolm Arnold, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gerald Finzi, Sir Adrian Boult, William Walton and Edmund Rubbra are really brought to life by John McCabe's exquisite playing. I first wrote about these little-known works in March 2006, and to Hyperion's credit they remains in the catalogue on the budget Helios label. This CD of tributes to underrated musicians itself provides a very appropriate tribute to a remarkable composer and pianist who will be much missed.

Also on Facebook and Twitter. Any copyrighted material is included as "fair use" for critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner(s).

Comments

Pliable said…
Leo Carey comments via Facebook:

Yes!! This is the first thing I thought of when I heard McCabe had died. A favorite disc of mine and one I've often given as a gift. Two fascinating eras of English music superimposed on one another. The sense of friendship and intimacy is also very appealing.

To your point in the earlier post about clavichord, I would say I've listened with real pleasure to Thurston Dart's clavichord recordings, reissued here: http://www.ismeron.co.uk/cd04.htm

Recent popular posts

David Munrow - more than early music

Classical music must be doing something wrong

Classical music's biggest problem is that no one cares

The Accidental Pilgrim

What would you do if your homeland was invaded?

Soundtrack for a porn movie

Is classical music asking the right questions?

The Berlin Philharmonic's darkest hour

Market forces and music collide - again