John McCabe - Mountains (2019)

John McCabe (1939-2015) was renowned as both a pianist (a Haydn specialist and supporter of many contemporary composers) and as a composer of very fine music in several genres. In 1985 he visited EMI Studios in Sydney Australia to make this album of music by Australian and American composers. However for several reasons it was put to one side and when the studio closed it was believed that all copies were lost. Last year a cassette copy was found, transferred and remastered. It is a wonderful collection of works, performed with McCabes usual dazzling virtuosity and deep musicality. The album comprises works of differing styles best summarized as post-modernist individual, inspired, contemporary but not unfriendly to audiences; some are impressionist such as the title track by Peter Sculthorpe; jazz-inspired (Rochbergs Carnival Music) and all are fine additions to McCabes recorded legacy.