Anthony Gilbert (26 July 1934 – 5 July 2023) was a British composer and academic, long associated with the Royal Northern College of Music. He also taught for extended periods as head of composition at the New South Wales State Conservatorium. His works, many of them for larger chamber ensembles, were published by Schott and University of York Music Press. Several of them were written for particular musicians, who performed and recorded them. He wrote a memoir, published in 2021.
He began writing a memoir in 2014, focusing on the work in the months preceding his 87th birthday; it was published as Kettle of Fish in 2021.[14][18]
Gilbert was married twice, and divorced twice. His first marriage was to Mary Hill, in 1956. Hill and Gilbert had three children. His second marriage in 1978 was to Alison Cox, who became the first Head of Composition at The Purcell School for Young Musicians where she has taught from 1988 - the present day, and also founded a musical charity, The Commonwealth Resounds.[17] Gilbert died on 5 July 2023, at age 88.[1][15] His three children, seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren survive him.[17]
Music
Gilbert was a prolific composer from the early 1960s, writing the majority of his works for instrumental or chamber ensemble.[1][19]
He wrote about composing:
Ultimately, for me, the only honest thing to do in composing is to write straight from the heart and guts, whilst closely involving the brain. Trying to assess what my audience would like to hear, to be "accessible", would to me seem cheap and patronising.[9]
The Piano Sonata No. 1 (1962) was his first published composition.[15] It was selected for the 1962 ISCM Festival and premiered by Margaret Kitchin at the Cheltenham Festival.[17] Early ensemble pieces include Brighton Piece and Nine or Ten Osannas (both 1967), and works especially written for The Fires of London, such as The Incredible Flute Music (1970) and Spell Respell for basset clarinet and piano (1973).[1] From the 1970s he produced a series of larger orchestral compositions such as the Symphony (1973) and Ghost and Dream Dancing (1974), which he called "in effect, a second symphony",[1] as well as two operas: The Scene-Machine (1970, for the Staatstheater Kassel) and The Chakravaka-Bird (1977, for BBC Radio).[20] Compositions for smaller orchestra during this period included Crow-Cry (1976, written for the London Sinfonietta), and Towards Asvari for solo piano and chamber orchestra (1978, written for Peter Lawson and the Manchester Camerata).[16]
During the following decade smaller scale works were his primary focus. Moonfaring for cello and percussion (1983) has also been performed with dancers. There are a trilogy of humorous pieces based on the imaginary Chinese bestiary of Jorge Luis Borges: Quartet of Beasts (1984). Beastly Jingles (1985) and Six of the Bestiary (1985).[21] Other works from this time include Dream Carousels for wind ensemble (Gilbert's most-performed work, written for RNCM conductor Timothy Reynish) and the orchestral song-cycle Certain Lights Reflecting. Both were inspired by writings of the Tasmanian poet Sarah Day. Igórochki, a recorder concerto written for John Turner, was completed in 1992 and there was a lyrical violin concerto, On Beholding a Rainbow (1997), recorded in 2005 with soloist Anthony Marwood.[22]
Although not noted for his interest in traditional forms, Gilbert composed four piano sonatas (the most recent in 2022) and a cycle of five string quartets spanning the years 1972 to 2009. The third quartet has been recorded by the Nossek String Quartet (1999), the Madawaska Quartet (2009) and the Bingham Quartet (2014), and the fourth by the Tavec Quartet (2009).[23] There is also a string trio, Humdance (2007) and a string quintet, Haven of Mysteries, premiered by the Carducci String Quartet with cellist Guy Johnston at the Wigmore Hall on 14 June 2015.[24] He wrote an extended essay on the British String Quartet since 1935.[25]
York Surprise for flute, clarinet and bass clarinet, 8', 2007
Word-Chimes in the Wind for wind quintet, 18', 2008
String Quartet No. 5, 20', 2009
Not for the Nashties, septet for three woodwind and string quartet (unpublished), 14', 2012
Hope's Place for chamber ensemble, 18', 2013
Tryptych for three winds and string ensemble, 16', 2014
Haven of Mysteries, string quintet, 2015
La Douceur, septet for three winds and string quartet, dedicated to Raymonde Sassoon, 11'15", 2016
Return of the St Louis, trio for oboe, clarinet in A and bassoon, 9', 2017
Choral and vocal
Missa Brevis for unaccompanied choir, 1965
Assonants 1 for SATB soloists, clarinet and horn, 1965
Three War Poems for chorus, 1966
Shepherd Masque for young voices, 1968
Love Poems for soprano and instrumental ensemble (2 versions), 10', 1970
Cantata: the man who tried to hijack an airliner, 16' (withdrawn), 1971
Canticle II (Anger) for 6 male voices, 6', 1974
Inscapes for soprano, speaking voice and small ensemble, 30', 1975
Long White Moonlight for soprano and electric double bass, 18', 1980
Chant of Cockeye Bob for children's voices and instruments, 14', 1981
Victorian Round for any number of voices (MS), 1981
Beastly Jingles for soprano and instrumental ensemble, 11', 1984
Certain Lights Reflecting, song-cycle for mezzo-soprano and orchestra to poems of Sarah Day, 19', 1989
Upstream River Rewa for storyteller and Indo-European ensemble, 29', 1991
Little Cycle for Elizabeth Yeoman for soprano, cello and piano (MS), 7', 1992
Handles to the Invisible for a cappella choir to poems of Sarah Day (rev. 2003), 15', 1995
'This Tree' (Frances Horovitz) (No. 1 of Love Poems, 1970, arr. mezzo and piano) (Schott), 3', 1996
Vers de Lune for soprano, flute, cello and percussion to texts by Aloysius Bertrand (incorporating a version of Ondine – chant au clair), 17', 1999
Encantos, song-cycle to Spanish symbolist love poetry for soprano or mezzo, clarinet, vibraphone and guitar to texts by Magdalena Mismareza and anon.), 14', 2004
Ygg-drasill for soprano or mezzo, recorder, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, three violins and cello (Cincuentas 3), 9', 2006
En Bateau, after Watteau for soprano, recorder, oboe, violin and cello to poems by Baudelaire and Proust), 9', 2007
Those Fenny Bells for treble, counter-tenor and vibraphone (to a poem by John Clare), 3', 2008
Encantos 2010 (Mismareza) for soprano or mezzo-soprano + ensemble of 8 instruments (alternative re-scoring of Encantos of 2004), 14’30", 2010
Peace Notes, (Sarah Day) for soprano or mezzo-soprano and piano, 14', 2011
Placing Art, (Ian Kemp) for soprano and bass recorder, 4', 2012
Lay the Lances, five songs for baritone and string orchestra, 2018
Orchestral
Sinfonia for chamber orchestra, 1965
Regions for two orchestras, 1966
Peal II for big band, 1968
Symphony (incorporates modified version of Regions), 39', Cheltenham Festival, 1973
Ghost and Dream Dancing for orchestra, 19', 1974
Crow-Cry for chamber orchestra, 20', 1976
Welkin for orchestra, 11', 1976
Koonapippi for youth orchestra, 6', 1981
Dream Carousels for wind orchestra, 13', 1984
Mozart Sampler with Ground for orchestra, 10', 1991
...into the Gyre of a Madder Dance for concert band, 7', 1994
Another Dream Carousel for string orchestra, 8', 2000
Even in flames, / the Thames/ can't hold a candle/ to the Wandle for variable orchestra, 6', 2000
Sheer for string orchestra, 16', 2003
Dance Concerto – Groove by chants, for orchestra, 19', 2006
Loopy Line-dance orchestral wind, 7', 2011
Lifelines, roundelay for orchestra, 10', 2020
Liaison, tone poem for medium-sized orchestra, 11'17", 2021
Concertante
Mother, for solo cello and ensemble (withdrawn), 14', 1969
Towards Asâvari for piano and chamber orchestra, 22', 1978
Igórochki, concerto for recorder, 1992
On beholding a Rainbow, concerto for violin and orchestra, 30', 1997
A Melding, concerto for B♭ clarinet and chamber ensemble, 14', 2019
Opera
The Scene-Machine, one-act opera to a libretto by George MacBeth, 50', 1970
The Chakravaka-Bird, radio opera to a libretto translated from Indian sources by A. K. Ramanujan, Daniel H. H. Ingalls and A. Gilbert, 77', 1977
Arrangements
Guillaume de Machaut: Ma fin est mon commencement, arr. for recorder ensemble with tambour (MS), 4', 1981
Arthur Benjamin: Two Jamaican Street Songs, arr. for piano four-hand (Boosey), 1990
Mátyás Seiber: Burlesque from Pastorale & Burlesque, arr. for recorder and piano; or for recorder and string trio (Schott), 2005
Recordings
Nine or Ten Osannas - Music Projects London/Bernas - NMC D 014 — 1993
Stars - Turquoise Guitar Editions, TGE 015 — December 2006
Os - Dutton CDLX 7180 — March 2007
Jugalbandi Blues - Shoepair DVD 701 — April 2007
Another Dream Carousel - Manchester Chamber Ensemble, dir. Richard Howarth - Dutton CDLX 7207 — March 2008
Those Fenny Bells - NMC D 150, disc 1 — April 2009
String Quartet No. 3 super hoqueto ‘David’ - Madawaska Quartet - ART 039 — 2009
Doubles - Endymion Ensemble dir. Quentin Poole - NMC D 160, disc 1 — April 2010
Ondine; En Bateau, d’après Watteau - Prima Facie PFCD 004 — May 2011
Piano sonatas 1 - 3, Little Piano Pieces, Elegy, 3 Papillon Postcards - Prima Facie PFCD 007 — May 2011
Palace of the Winds - Goldberg Ensemble, dir. Malcolm Layfield - NMC D 174 — June 2011
3 Papillon Postcards - NMC D 181 — June 2011
Réflexions, Rose nord - Atoll ACD 212 — October 2011
Dream Carousels for Wind Orchestra - National Youth Wind Ensemble of Great Britain, cond. Phillip Scott - Mark Records 9560 MCD — 2011
Chimes in Time, Propel, Chatkwell, Toll, John’s Peal, Farewell, Speedwell, Duelo - Prima Facie PFCD 013 — March 2012
Above all that - Divine Art dda 21217 — April 2012
Piano Sonata No. 3 - Benjamin Powell - UHC 02001 1026 — September 2012
String Quartet No. 3 super hoqueto ‘David’ - Bingham Quartet - Prima Facie PFCD 032 — 2014
DancE-a-Triple Round - Birthday tribute for David Ellis for recorder and cello - Prima Facie PFCD 037 — 2014
Travelling with Time - Ygg-drasill, Papillon Postcards, En Bateau, Piano Sonata 3, Another Dream Carousel, Rapprochement, String Quartet No. 3 - Prima Facie PFCD 041 — October 2015
Haven of Mysteries for String Quintet, on: ‘Bracing Change’ - Chamber works commissioned for and recorded at Wigmore Hall, London - NMC D216 — May 2017
A Shooting Star - Music by Janet Owen Thomas and Anthony Gilbert - Prima Facie PFCD063 — February 2018
Zustandsformen - works for recorder and guitar - Stadt Baden Aargauer — Dec. 2020
^Jarman, Douglas. 2004. 'The Music of Anthony Gilbert', in two parts. Tempo 58, no. 229 (July): 2–17 (JSTOR3878604); 58, no. 230 (October): 38–49 (JSTOR3878736).
^Walsh, Stephen. 1972. "Time Off and The Scene Machine". Musical Times 113:137–39
Connolly, 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, G.W. 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, ISBN0-19-861459-4
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.
