Transatlantic piano

"In this panorama of mostly American music McCabe takes on some of the most demanding pieces in the repertory ... Now it is possible to assess the three solid rocks on which Copland's output for the piano is based ... In the Carter Sonata McCabe is reliable ... But there are many positive features about McCabe's generous double album. Admirers of Scott Joplin may be fascinated to find a 25-minute piano work based on his only Latin-American piece, Solace ... McCabe plays the piece most convincingly ... This is a valuable addition to the slender amount of Bennett now in the catalogue and very typical of his polished versatility. George Rochberg's Carnival Music is a suite based on various popular idioms-comparable to Barber's Excursions - and thoroughly enjoyable. McCabe is adept at these vernacular styles and launches into the minimalist (or is it post-minimalist?) era with John Adams's Phrygian Gates, an endurance test ... McCabe takes it seriously and brings the same commitment to it as he does to the rest, including a set of rather uninspiring jazzy pieces by Andre Previn".

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