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The Music of Bill Hopkins: a preliminary approach

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2016

Nicolas Hodges
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Extract

When Bill Hopkins died of a massive heart attack in March 1981, at the age of 37, the loss was immense, not only for his family and friends, but also for the music world at large. Those who have actually listened to his music (they are fewer than one would suppose) have judged that his potential was huge, one commentator being ‘sure he would have become a considerable force, comparable perhaps with Pierre Boulez’. However, rather than a dismissal of his work as promise unfulfilled, more appropriate would be a celebration of the startling achievement his completed works in fact represent – as I hope this article, and further performances, will demonstrate.

Type
Research Article
Information
Tempo , Issue 186 , September 1993 , pp. 4 - 12
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

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References

1 Pettitt, Stephen, The Times,27 04 1993 Google Scholar.

2 Universal Edition, UE14204L. By oversight, the publishers omitted Hopkins's dedication to Tona Scherchen.

3 Both works are presented on a new disc of Hopkins's music from the NMC label: NMCDO14, which also includes En attendant and Pendant.

4 Letter to Thomson, Andrew, 30 08 1971 Google Scholar – alluding to ‘Rain on Rahoon', the first of the Two Pomes. I am very grateful to Mr. Thomson for allowing me to have copies of his letters from Hopkins.

5 Of which there is a recording in the National Sound Archive, with the composer as pianist.

6 Letter to Thomson, Andrew, 30 08 1971 Google Scholar.

7 Hodeir, André, ‘Barraqué: Le pari de la discontinuité, Entreiemps no.5, 1987, p.39 Google Scholar.

8 Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations from Hopkins come from manuscripts in the Bill Hopkins archive in Cambridge University Library.

9 Letter to Andrew Thomson, 23 February 1973.

10 Only Book 1 (Etudes I–IV) is published (Schott London ED11006). This book was premiered in London on 11 February 1968 by Philip Pilkington. VI and VIII were first performed at the 1991 Huddersfield Festival by James Clapperton; V, VII and IX on various dates in 1990 (VII), 1992 (V) and 1993 (IX) by the present writer.

11 So described by Hopkins's friend Paul Griffiths in a letter to the present author.

12 Undated letter, probably early 1970s.

13 Letter of 28 March 1972.

14 Letter to Andrew Thomson, 7 January 1974.

15 Conversation with the author, 4 May 1993. Information given here regarding Nes is also based on examination of the very large number of manuscripts relating to it.

16 Unpublished manuscript entitled ‘VP: towards a descriptive note’.

17 This took place on 23 April 1993 at St Giles's Church, Cripplegate, London, as part of a concert which also included a performance – the second in England and only the third ever – of Sensation. Both performances were excellent.

18 In addition to his own music, he completed an as-yet unperformed orchestration of Lindaraja, which he believed to be the only one of Debussy's piano works which was intended as a sketch of an orchestral composition.