Anthony Gilbert (composer)

Anthony Gilbert (born 26 July 1934) is a British composer.

Biography

Gilbert, who was born in London on 26 July 1934,^[1] trained initially as a translator, then studied composition with Mátyás Seiber privately, and with Alexander Goehr and Anthony Milner at Morley College (Williams 2001). He also studied with Gunther Schuller at Tanglewood.^[2] He was head of the School of Composition at the Royal Northern College of Music until 1999.^[3] Amongst his students there were Simon Holt,^[4] Martin Butler and James Saunders.^[5] He is published by the University of York Music Press (since 1994) and Schott Music (works prior to 1994).

Work

Compositions

• Elegy for piano, 1961
• Strophics for violin & piano, 1961
• Piano Sonata no.1, 1962
• Duo for violin and viola, 1963
• Serenade for 6 instruments, 1963
• Missa Brevis for unaccompanied choir, 1965
• Sinfonia for chamber orchestra, 1965
• Assonants 1 for SATB soli + clarinet & horn, 1965
• Regions for two orchestras, 1966
• Three War Poems for chorus, 1966
• Piano Sonata no.2 (piano 4-hands), 1966
• Brighton Piece for 8 players, 1967
• Nine or Ten Osannas for 5 players, 1967
• The Incredible Flute Music for flute and piano (Peal I), 1968
• Peal II for big band, 1968
• Shepherd Masque for young voices, 1968
• Spell Respell for electric basset clarinet and piano, 1968
• Mother for solo cello and ensemb
• Treatment of Silence for violin and tape, 1969
• Love Poems for soprano and instrumental ensemble (2 versions) 10’, 1970
• The Scene-Machine one-act opera, libretto by George MacBeth 50’, 1970
• Cantata: the man who tried to hijack an airliner 16’ (withdrawn), 1971
• O’Grady Music for clarinet, cello and toy instruments 24’, 1971
• String Quartet with Piano Pieces (also exists in version for string quartet alone) 17’ / 22’, 1972
• Little Piano Pieces (from above, performable as a separate work) 8’, 1972
• Symphony (incorporates modified version of Regions) 39’, 1973
• Canticle I (Rock-Song), for wind instruments 9’, 1973
• Canticle II (Anger) for 6 male voices 6’, 1974
• Ghost and Dream Dancing for orchestra 19’, 1974
• Inscapes for soprano, speaking voice and small ensemble 30’, 1975
• Crow-Cry for chamber orchestra 20’, 1976
• Welkin for orchestra 11’, 1976
• The Chakravaka-Bird radio opera (libretto trans. from Indian sources by A. K. Ramanujan, Daniel H. H. Ingalls and A. Gilbert) (contact composer) 77’, 1977
• Towards Asâvari for piano and chamber orchestra 22’, 1978
• Canticle I (Rock-Song) version 2, for woodwind, horns, harp & piano 9', 1979
• Calls around Chungmori for chamber ensemble and participating audience 15’, 1979
• Long White Moonlight for soprano and electric double bass 18’, 1980
• Vasanta with Dancing for chamber ensemble (dancer optional) 17’, 1981
• Crow Undersongs for solo viola 11’, 1981
• Chant of Cockeye Bob for children’s voices and instruments 14’, 1981
• Koonapippi for youth orchestra 6’, 1981
• Sunrising for oboe and piano (commissioned and published by Forsyth Bros. Ltd., Manchester) 3’, 1981
• Bendigo Match for wind band (MS) 3', 1981
• Concert Fanfare for Strathfieldsaye for 5 brass and 2 perc. (MS) 1', 1981
• Little Fantasy on Gold-digger Melodies for flute and string quartet (MS) 4', 1981
• Little Dance of Barrenjoey for fl.,cl., vla, vc. (MS) 2’, 1981
• Victorian Round for any number of voices (MS), 1981
• Two Birds by Kuring-Gai for horn and piano (commissioned and published by Forsyth) 6’, 1982
• Moonfaring for cello and percussion 19'-30’, 1983
• Dawnfaring for viola and piano 15’, 1984
• Quartet of Beasts for 3 wind instruments and piano 13’, 1984
• Beastly Jingles for soprano and instrumental ensemble 11’, 1984
• O alter Duft for solo piano (withdrawn), 1984
• Six of the Bestiary for saxophone quartet 12’, 1985
• Funtoons: children’s pieces for piano (MS) 8’, 1985
• Fanfarings for 6 and 8 brass instruments (MS) 5 x 1’, 1986
• String Quartet II (revised 2003) 19’, 1987
• String Quartet III super hoqueto 'David' 7’, 1987
• Peal III for piano (MS) 2’, 1984
• Peal IV for organ (MS) 2’, 1984
• Four small Farings for sopranino recorder/piccolo and piano (Forsyth)**, 1984
• Dream Carousels for orchestra of wind 13’, 1984
• Certain Lights Reflecting song-cycle for mezzo-soprano and orchestra (to poems of Sarah Day) 19’, 1989
• Tree of Singing Names for chamber orchestra 15’, 1989
• O alter Duft for piano duet (withdrawn), 1990
• Upstream River Rewa for storyteller and Indo-European ensemble 29’, 1991
• Mozart Sampler with Ground for orchestra 10’, 1991
• Igórochki for solo recorder player and chamber ensemble 22’, 1992
• Fanfaring V for brass (MS) 1’, 1992
• Little Cycle for Elizabeth Yeoman for soprano, cello and piano (MS) 7’, 1992
• Paluma for sopranino recorder and piano (arranged from movement IV of Igórochki) (MS) 4’, 1993
• Trying to make John SLOW DOWN AFTER 50 for sopranino recorder and piano (Forsyth)**, 1993
• Ziggurat for bass clarinet and marimba 21’, 1994
• ...into the Gyre of a Madder Dance for orchestral wind (University of York Music Press) 7’, 1994
• Handles to the Invisible for a cappella choir (to poems of Sarah Day) (rev. 2003) 15’, 1995
• Stars for treble recorder and guitar (rev. 2004) 13’, 1995
• Moon comes up, Pearl Beach (June ‘79) for alto flute, vibraphone and cello (version 2, MS lost) 1’, 1995
• Flame Robin for sopranino recorder solo (Forsyth) 1’, 1995
• Miss Carroll her Lullabye for sopranino recorder and piano (Forsyth)**, 1995
• Chant-au-clair sopranino recorder and piano (Forsyth)**, 1995
• Midwales Lightwhistle Automatic for sopranino recorder and piano (Forsyth)**, 1996
• Dancing to the Tune for 4-8 oboes, 2-4 cors anglais, 1-2 heckelphones (MS) 4’, 1996
• This Tree (Frances Horovitz) [no.1 of Love Poems (1970), arr. mezzo and piano] (Schott) 3’, 1996
• Réflexions, Rose nord for bass clarinet and vibraphone 5’, 1996
• On beholding a Rainbow concerto for violin and orchestra 30’, 1997
• Osanna for Lady O for cello and piano (rewritten 2007) 8’, 1997
• Ondine - chant au clair de lune for soprano and recorder (Aloysius Bertrand) (MS) 6', 1998
• Vers de Lune soprano plus flute, cello, percussion (Aloysius Bertrand) (incorporates a version of Ondine - chant au clair... above) 17’, 1999
• Os for oboe and vibraphone (revised 2002) 16’, 1999
• Margareeting for tenor or descant recorder and piano (MS) 2’, 2000
• Sinfin for vibraphone solo 8’, 2000
• Sinfin 2 for 4 vibraphones (arrangement of above) 8’, 2000
• Worldwhorls for bass clarinet solo 8’, 2000
• Another Dream Carousel for string orchestra 8’, 2000
• Photos found at Hukvaldy, August 1928 for oboe solo 5’, 2000
• Even in flames,/the Thames/can’t hold a candle/to the Wandle for variable orchestra 6’, 2000
• Farings for sopranino recorder and piano (Forsyth) (the published compilation of all double-asterisked items) 15’, 2000
• Unrise for ten wind 16’, 2001
• Four Seasons for Josca’s for young players (variable ens.) 3’, 2001
• Piano Sonata no.3 autour des palombes 15', 2001
• Sinfin parados for vibraphone duo (arrangement of Sinfin) 8’, 2002
• String Quartet IV 23’, 2002
• Kauri for solo Tuba 11’, 2002
• Tulip Tree dances for solo Bass and Treble Recorders 15’, 2003
• Ondine (version 2, extended), soprano + recorder, cello, hpschd. 11’, 2003
• Sheer for string orch. 16’, 2003
• Palace of the Winds for 11 solo strings 15’, 2003
• Rose luisante for solo freebass accordion 9’, 2003
• Tinos for soprano, clarinet and vibraphone (Magdalena Mismareza) 3’, 2004
• Litany for clarinet and piano (Associated Board Spectrum series) 2’, 2004
• Catercorny 4 pieces for clarinet and piano (contains Litany above) 6', 2004
• Swallowtail for solo vibraphone 2', 2004
• Encantos song-cycle to Spanish symbolist love poetry for soprano or mezzo + clarinet, vibraphone, guitar (Magdalena Mismareza & anon.) (includes Tinos above) 14', 2004
• Halifenu Vine Dance for organ and pre-recorded organ 9', 2005
• People Pieces for piano (beginners and on) 15’, 2005
• Dark Singing, Dancing Light for bassoon and string quintet/string ens. 10', 2005
• A Piece of Cake for treble recorder and piano (MS) 80", 2006
• Jugalbandi Blues for bass clarinet solo 60", 2006
• Passing Bells for piano solo 3', 2006
• Ygg-drasill for soprano or mezzo + recorder, ob., cl., bsn, trp., 3 vlns, vc. (Cincuentas 3) 9', 2006
• Groove, Perchants, dance-concerto for orchestra 19', 2006
• Moon comes up, Pearl Beach (June ‘79) for alto flute, vibraphone, vc.(version 1 reconstructed) (Cincuentas 2) 2', 2007
• Osanna for Lady O for cello and piano (1997, rewritten 2007) 8’, 2007
• ecco Eco for flute, clarinet & vibraphone (Cincuentas 4) 50", 2007
• Echo for solo trumpet (Cincuentas 5) 4', 2007
• HumDance for string trio 20', 2007
• En Bateau, d'après Watteau for soprano, recorder, oboe, violin & cello (to poems by Baudelaire & Proust) 9', 2007
• York Surprise for flute, clarinet & bass clarinet 8', 2007
• Those Fenny Bells for treble, counter-tenor and vibraphone (poem by John Clare) 3', 2008
• Twirlpool for flute and viola 3', 2008
• Gioco dei Pari for violin & viola (reworking of Duo of 1962) 10', 2008
• Tulip Dance for solo flute (arranged from Tulip Tree, 2003) 5', 2008
• Word-Chimes in the Wind for wind quintet 18', 2008
• Twinned Set 7 short pieces for solo bassoon 18', 2008
• Set Two 7 short pieces for solo bass clarinet 18', 2008
• String Quartet no. 5 20', 2009
• Do Well : 8 short pieces for piano solo 15', 2009

Arrangements

• Guillaume de Machaut: Ma fin est mon commencement, arr. recorder ensemble with tambour (MS) 4', 1981
• Arthur Benjamin: Two Jamaican Street Songs, arr. piano 4h. (Boosey), 1990
• Mátyás Seiber: Burlesque from Pastorale & Burlesque, arr. recorder and piano; also arr. recorder and string trio (Schott), 2005

References

1. http://www.schott-music.com/shop/persons/featured/7389/index.html
2. http://www.schott-music.com/shop/persons/featured/7389/index.html
3. http://www.anthonygilbert.net/biog.php
4. http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/composer/long-bio/Simon-Holt
5. Fox, C. (2008) James Saunders, Grove Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com [Accessed 19 October 2014]

• Connoly, Justin. 1968. "Cornelius Cardew's The Great Digest and Anthony Gilbert's Missa brevis". Tempo 86:16–17.
• Henderson, R. 1971–72. "Anthony Gilbert". Music and Musicians 20, no. 7:42–49.
• Hopkins, George William. 1968. "Anthony Gilbert". Musical Times 109:907–10.
• Jarman, Douglas. 2004. "The Music of Anthony Gilbert", 2 parts. Tempo 58, no. 229 (July): 2–17; 58, no. 230 (October): 38–49.
• Kennedy, Michael (2006), The Oxford Dictionary of Music, 985 pages, ISBN 0-19-861459-4
• Walsh, Stephen. 1972. "Time Off and The Scene Machine". Musical Times 113:137–39.
• Williams, Nicholas. 2001. "Gilbert, Anthony". The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan Publishers.