(b. 9 September 1950, Hillingdon, Greater London).
British composer of mostly chamber and piano works that have been performed in the Americas and Europe.
Mr. Hobbs studied composition with Cornelius Cardew and percussion with Patricia Brady at the Royal Academy of Music in London from 1967–69. He earned his PhD by Published Work at De Montfort University in Leicester in 2002.
He is also active in other positions. As a performer on a variety of instruments, he was a member of the Scratch Orchestra from 1968–71, AMM from 1968–71, the Promenade Theatre Orchestra from 1970–73, the Hobbs–White Duo from 1973–76, and the Hartzell Hilton Ensemble from 1987–89. As a pianist, he has played his own music, as well as the music of Erik Satie, including the première of the complete version of Le Fils des étoiles in 1989. He founded the Experimental Music Catalogue to distribute new music in 1969 and has served as its publisher since 1969.
He taught at Drama Centre London from 1973–91 and has taught on a part-time basis at De Montfort University since 1985.
In addition to the works listed below, Mr. Hobbs has written much music for stage productions and several songs.
SELECT LIST OF WORKS
STAGE:
The Mountebanks (operetta in 2 acts, libretto by Sir W. S. Gilbert), 1976
ORCHESTRAL:
The Arnold/Wolf-Ferrari Orchestra Book, 1969–70
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Harp Star-Pieces, harp, 1967
Trio, 2 violins, 3 violas, 2 cellos, 1968
Music for the Crumbling Cookie 1–2, any ensemble, 1968
55 Endings from 66 Choral Improvisations in 8 Major Keys, flute, oboe, clarinet, alto saxophone, bassoon, trombone, viola, double bass, 4 reed organs, 1971
Out of Exercise 2, flute, oboe, English horn, bass clarinet, tuba, 2 double basses, 2 toy pianos, 2 reed organs, 1971
Pìobaireachd Exercise, flute, 2 oboes, clarinet, bassoon, trombone, viola, double bass, 1971
Exercise for Percussionists, any number of percussion, 1974
Rondo – Fantasia, 2 flutes, bass clarinet, trombone, harp, 2 violins, viola, cello, piano, 1974
Soft Saxon Systems, 8 psalteries, piano 4 hands, 2 glockenspiels, 6 percussion, 1974
Six Preludes and Five Chorales, 3 clarinets, bass clarinet, 1975
Sonatina, tuba, piano, 1975
Preludes, tuba, piano, 1975
Symphonic Dances I, toy piano, reed organ, percussion, 1975
Symphonic Dances II, tuba, piano, reed organ (+ percussion), 1975
Twelve Sketches, tuba, piano, 1976
Sonatina, bassoon, piano, 1976
Study for Solo Percussion, 1977
Orangerearrangement, flute, percussion, 1977
Recitative, bass clarinet, celesta, vibraphone, percussion, 1979
Three for Redlands, 2 flutes, oboe, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, 2 pianos, vibraphone, 1979
Still Life, and Moving, tuba, piano, percussion, 1979
Still Life, and Moving (Detail), tuba, piano, percussion, 1979
Sextet, flute, oboe, clarinet, tenor saxophone, bassoon, French horn, 1980
Seventeen One-Minute Pieces, string quartet, 1980
Swiftly to Virginia, E-flat clarinet, piano, 1981, revised 1991
The Wide Open, alto saxophone, French horn, trumpet, piano, organ, tam-tam, 1981
Rites of Passage, clarinet, piano (+ tam-tam), 1982
The Only Game in Town, 2 electronic keyboards, 1983
Back Seat Album, synthesizer, fixed media, 1983
Footlight and Fancy Bound, alto saxophone, vibraphone, fixed media, 1984
Four Studies in Shadow, bass flute, bass clarinet, bassoon, 1984
Four Pieces, 2 clarinets, 2 alto saxophones, bassoon, trumpet, 2 trombones, piano, 2 percussion, 1985
Four Pieces, tuba, electronic keyboard, 1986
A Short Set, flute, oboe, clarinet, 2 alto saxophones, bassoon, vibraphone, tubular bells, 1986
Movement, flute, 2 clarinets, alto saxophone, bassoon, trombone, piano 4 hands, 1986
Fanfares, 2 E-flat clarinets, 1987
Gothic Swing, 2 E-flat clarinets, 2 violas, piano, vibraphone, 1987
Second String Quartet, 1987
Another Part of the Forest, 2 E-flat clarinets, 2 violas, piano, vibraphone, 1988
In Other Parts of the Forest, 2 pianos, harmonium, 1989
Five Pieces for the Ensemble 'Live Batts!', 2 electronic keyboards, 1990 (its five sections may be performed separately: Batt Jogg; The Batts of the Delectable Mountains; Batt Scrapps; Batt Flapp; Batt Fancie)
Five Pieces for Casio MT-750, synthesizer, 1990–91
Strong Intending, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, electronic keyboard, 1991
Tōkyō Games, clarinet, electronic keyboard, 1991
Figuring on Nervous Drums, percussion, 1992
Sonatina, flute, piano, 1992
Seventeen One-Minute Pieces, bass clarinet, synthesizer, 1992
A Window Opened on a Distant World, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 French horns, piano, 1992 (also version of one section as Stately, and Rather Remote, 2 pianos)
Why Not, bass clarinet, 1994
Scherzo and Lyric, E-flat clarinet, piano, 1991–95
No One May Ever Have the Same Knowledge Again (text from an anonymous source), any number of voices/fixed media, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, vibraphone, percussion, 1996
Six Duos, tuba, double bass, 1997
Starscape, vibraphone, string quartet, 1997
Après A. E. L. S., mezzo-soprano, soprano recorder, soprano saxophone, trombone, electric guitar, viola, double bass, piano, marimba, 1998 (section of L'Auteur se Retire; may be performed separately)
CHORAL:
Two Watt Settings, 4 male voices, c. 1970
Sono Cantusque Congrua (text from an anonymous source), 4 male voices, 1994
Après Gesualdo (text from an anonymous source), 5 mixed voices, 1996 (section of L'Auteur se Retire; may be performed separately)
VOCAL:
The Castle Keep (text by Franz Kafka [English translation]), 1–10 amplified speakers, 1970
Four Morgenstern Songs (text by Christian Morgenstern), baritone, piano/piano 4 hands, 1975
In the Silent Void (texts by poets from China [translated by Arthur Waley]), baritone, viola, piano (+ percussion), 1981
Five Morgenstern Songs (text by Christian Morgenstern), baritone, piano, 1984
Conspicuous Consumer (text from an anonymous source), mezzo-soprano, 2 flutes, trombone, viola, piano, 1988 (also version for soprano, piano, 1997)
Drei Lieder aus 'Der Struwwelpeter' (text by Heinrich Hoffmann), mezzo-soprano/baritone, piano, 1990
Extended Relationships and False Endings (texts from digests of soap operas), any number of amplified speakers, bass guitar, piano, 2 percussion, 1992–93
PIANO:
The Remorseless Lamb, 2 pianos, 1970
Czerny's 100 royal Bouquet Valses, arranged for Such as cannot reach an Octave, any number of pianos, c. 1970
Out of Exercise 3, 1971
Pretty Tough Cookie, 2 pianos, c. 1972
Piano Pieces 1–12, 1973 (its sections may be performed separately)
First Duet Set, 2 pianos/piano 4 hands, 1974
Second Duet Set, 2 pianos/piano 4 hands, 1975
Sonatina No. 1, 1975
Sonatina No. 2, 1976
Alleluia, 2 pianos, 1977
Sonatina No. 3, 1977
Sonatina No. 4, 1977
Sonatina No. 5, 1979
Sonatina No. 6, 1980
Sonatina No. 7, 1986
Piano Pieces, 1991
Stately, and Rather Remote, 2 pianos, 1992 (version of section of A Window Opened on a Distant World)
24 Preludes, 1992
A Compendium of Games, 2 pianos, 1994 (one section may be performed separately: Changes, piano)
Fifty in Two Thousand, piano (+ synthesizer, percussion), 2000
L'Auteur se Retire, 1996–2003 (its 16 sections may be performed separately: Après Chopin, 1996; Après Debussy, 1996; Après Schubert, 1996; Après Scarlatti, 1996; Après Sweelinck, 1996; Après Gesualdo, 5 mixed voices, 1996; Après Schumann, 1996; Après J. S. Bach, 1996; Après Grainger, 1996; Après Beethoven, 1996; Après Couperin, 1996; De Satie après Cage, 2 pianos, 2003; Après Rachmaninoff, 1996; Après Schoenberg, 1996; De Schoenberg après Busoni, 1996; Après A. E. L. S., mezzo-soprano, soprano recorder, soprano saxophone, trombone, electric guitar, viola, double bass, piano, marimba, 1998)
Reflections on 'Hotter than that', 2007
ORGAN:
Christmas Piece for Organ, Volume 1, organ 4 hands, 1967–68
Christmas Piece for Organ, Volume 2, organ 4 hands, 1969
ELECTROACOUSTIC:
Home, fixed media, c. 1970
Come on, Get it Together, Chaps!, computer, 1988
Changes 1, computer, 1988
Changes 2, computer, 1988
Sudoku 1–25, computer, 2005
The Power, computer, 2006
The Plause, computer, 2006
Number Piece 4, computer, 2006
Sudoku 26–47, computer, 2006
The Mill, computer, 2007
Sudoku 48–67, computer, 2007
Sudoku 68–97, computer, 2008
Sudoku 98–131, computer, 2009
Sudoku 132–33, computer, 2010
TEXT SCORES:
One Note, 1966
Voicepiece, 1967
To All Who Live in Simple Unpretentious Houses – (Composition, Feb 10 1968), 1968
Song 1, 1968
Measuring Means, 1968
The Glory of Highland Scotland – Tour 47 – (Composition, Sep 3 1968), 1968
Song 2, 1968
Walk Event, 1968
Too Soft to Touch, but Too Lovely not to Try – (Composition, Dec 16 1968), 1968
Higgins' Eternal Ink – (Composition, Dec 25 1968), 1968
Shortly before Midnight, c. 1968
125 Questions for Pianists, 1969
Two Compositions, 21 May 1969, 1969
The Friesian Cow, 1969
Can You Hear Me, Mother?, 1970
WORKS FOR THE PROMENADE THEATRE ORCHESTRA, 1970–73:
Aran, toy piano, reed organ, percussion
The Back Gate of Kiev, 4 reed organs
Climax Hit-Off, 4 toy pianos, 4 reed organs
Dufay Accompli, 4 toy pianos, 4 reed organs
French Lady Gives Strict Counterpoint Lessons, 2 toy pianos, 4 reed organs
G Major Machine, 4 reed organs
He's My Guy (text from an anonymous source), 4 speakers, 4 reed organs
Imitation Roll-Off, oboe, clarinet, trombone, percussion
MacCrimmon Will Never Return, 4 reed organs
Mastery of the Beat, 4 reed organs
Out of Exercise 1, 4 toy pianos, 4 reed organs
Oxford Street Walk, oboe, clarinet, trombone, any drum
Rhythm Walk, percussion
Sad Lost-F Mantra, 3 toy pianos, woodblocks
Scriabin Readymade, 4 toy pianos
Straight off the Top, oboe, bass clarinet, trombone
Trio, 3 percussion
12-bar Blues Machine, 4 toy pianos
Two Doomsday Machines, 4 pianos/reed organs
Two 15th Century Roll-Offs, 4 toy pianos, 4 reed organs
With the Ascending Modulation, His Fame May Rise, 3 reed organs, percussion
Woman Has Naught to Do with Fame (text from an anonymous source), 4 speakers, 4 reed organs
Working Notes, 3 toy pianos, reed organ
WORKS FOR THE HOBBS–WHITE DUO, 1973–76:
Another Exercise, 2 percussion
Daughter of Luna, 2 toy pianos (both + reed organ, percussion)
A Fair Lick, 2 percussion
Festival Machine, 2 reed organs (both + bell metronome)
Heavy Viking Systems, 2 percussion
Intermezzo 1, 2 toy pianos (both + percussion)
Intermezzo 2, 2 toy pianos (both + percussion)
Knight's System, 2 percussion
Lincoln E. Moses Comes down from the Mountain, 2 percussion
A Mother's Son, 2 percussion
Mummers are Coming, 2 toy pianos (both + reed organ)
Number Piece 1, 2 percussion
Number Piece 2, 2 percussion
Number Piece 3, 2 percussion
Preludio alla Reminiscenza, bassoon, toy piano (+ reed organ)
Slow Swing, tuba, toy piano (+ reed organ)
Steady Pace Journey, 2 percussion
Systemic Mettle, 2 percussion
Timpani Studies, 2 percussion
Village Organist Roll-Off, 2 toy pianos (both + reed organ)