Archival Recording: Hobbs, Bennett, Laws, Simpson

Second Doomsday Machine 

Continuing the theme of experimental and minimalist pieces for multiple pianos, here is Christopher Hobbs, Second Doomsday Machine, a process machine piece in his collection, Christopher Hobbs PTO Pieces, published by the Experimental Music Catalogue.  Second Doomsday Machine was written in 1971, originally for the Promenade Theatre Orchestra, and originally for four reed organs. The Promenade Theatre Orchestra most famously performed on toy pianos, reed organs, and their own wind instruments. However, Hobbs has since decided that this piece works better as arranged for four pianos. This particular performance was recorded at the Scraptoft campus of De Montfort University, on 7 May 1997, at the very end of the Leicester Polytechnic/De Montfort University Performing Arts course, a programme founded by Gavin Bryars. Performers: Amanda Bennett, Christopher Hobbs, Catherine Laws, and Clare Simpson.