The first part of this article, a consideration of a number of younger ‘post-spectralist’ French composers as llustrated by some of their recorded works (the recordings are detailed in an annexe to this part) appeared in Tempo 212. That part concluded with a discussion of Pascal Dusapin and his expressive programme ‘to draw a wracked lyricism from his material through sensuously tangible strategies of constraint. As we shall soon see, younger composers have been quick to take this up to their advantage …’)