Chamber
Tango
Violin, Clarinet and Piano
Version for viola, clarinet and piano
5 mins. (pub. Corda)
First Performance: Purcell Room, London 1985
Animal Dances
Piano Duet
15 mins. (pub. Music Shop Europe)
First Performance: Adam Gorb and Miles Knapman,
St. Mary’s Church, Braughing, Herts, 1989
Clarinet Sonata
Clarinet and Piano
25 mins. (pub. Music Shop Europe)
First Performance: Andre Kerver and Andrew Wise,
Enschede, Holland, December 1991
CD Recording – Paul Vowles and Gemma Beeson: Prima Facie pending
“…coherant musical language with brash motor-rhythms, unashamed flirting with music-hall elements, but also lyrical expression and imaginative use of the instruments…a marvellous addition to the clarinet and piano literature” Tubantia Holland, November 1991
The Dying of the Light
Bassoon and Piano
10 mins. (pub. Music Shop Europe)
First Performance: Clara Kingslake and Helen Vickery,
British Music Information Centre
8th July 1992
Valse/Nocturne
Viola and Piano
6 mins. (pub. Music Shop Europe)
First Performance: Martin Outram and Michael Freyhan,
British Music Information Centre
7th December 1993
Liebeslied
Violin and Harp
Commissioned by Skaila Kanga
10 mins. (pub. Music Shop Europe)
First Performance: Kenneth Sillito and Skaila Kanga, Whitstable Music Club
17th June 1995
Sonata for Violin and Piano
Commissioned by Thomas Bowes and Eleanor Alberga
20 mins. (Pub. Composers Edition)
First Performance: Thomas Bowes and Eleanor Alberga,
Spitalfields Festival, London
17th June 1996
CD Recording: Prima Facie PFCD008 Midori Sugiyama and Ben Powell
“A communicative, tonal work direct in form, Gorb’s Sonata doesn’t waste a note. An unstated drama impels it forwards, couched in piquantly scored terms, including microtones, its Shostakovichian breadth seems natural and earned.”
Timothy Managan, Los Angeles Times 1997
“A tour-de force, ambitious in form, though never heavy handed…most memorable…”
Nicholas Williams, The Independent June 1996
“A powerful, fluently composed work.”
Rick Jones, Evening Standard June 1996
Reconciliation
Clarinet and Piano
Commissioned by Park Lane
Young Artists Series
12 mins. (Pub. Composers Edition)
First Performance: Elaine Cocks and Rebecca Woolcock,Purcell Room, London
5th January 1998
CD Recording: Prima Facie PFCD008 Paul Vowles and Jonathan Fisher
“A glittering bell-like ostinato of rising, open fifths and a real test of flexibility and fluency.”
Michael White, The Independent January 1998
“Adam Gorb’s Reconciliation launches a sparkier, more combative dialogue for clarinet and piano but finally achieves a tranquil, mellifluous resolution in which the warring elements are pacified. To the great credit of Scott and Dussek, however, their clashing dissonances never sounded rebarbative: on the contrary, tonal beauty was a feature of the strife as much as of the peace.”
Barry Millington, London Evening Standard 2008
Four Temperaments for Two Guitars
Commissioned by Mark Eden and Christopher Stell
12 mins. (Music available from the composer.)
First Performance: Mark Eden and Christopher Stell, Wigmore Hall, London
28th November 1999
Bittersweet
2 Violins, Cello and Piano
Commissioned by the Schubert Ensemble
3 mins. (Pub. Composers Edition)
First Performance: Wigmore Hall, London
23rd March 2001
CD recording NMC D080
Life Sentence
Double Bass and Piano
Commissioned by the Ida Carroll Trust
5 mins. (pub. Recital)
First Performance: Jenny Knight and Mark Cracknell
Wells Cathedral School
7th October 2001
String Quartet No. 1
Commissioned by Bromsgrove Music Club
30 mins. (Pub. Composers Edition)
First Performance: Maggini Quartet, Bromsgrove Music Club
27th February 2002
“…a finely conceived and impressively mature composition.”
David Hart, Birmingham Post
Straitjacket
Tuba and Piano
Commissioned by James Gourlay
10 mins. (pub. Edition Bim)
First Performance: James Gourlay and John Wilson, Leeds University
7th June 2002
CD Recording: Prima Facie PFCD008 Leslie Neish and Simon Parkin
Tubaccata
2 Euphoniums and 2 Tubas
3 mins. (Pub. Composers Edition)
First Performance: Tubalate, Royal Northern College of Music
14th November 2003
Yiddish Dances
Arrangement for Piano Duet
Commissioned by Anthony Goldstone and Caroline Clemmow.
16 mins. (pub. Maecenas)
First Performance: Anthony Goldstone and Caroline Clemmow,
St. Mary’s Church Beverley
17th September 2004
CD Recording – Anthony Goldstone and Caroline Clemmow, Divine Art 25032 (2005)
Freedom
Oboe and Harp
9 mins. (Pub. Composers Edition)
Written for Melinda Maxwell
CD Recording – Melinda Maxwell and Hugh Webb CDLX 7180 (2005)
clEarinG
Clarinet, Violin, Cello, Piano
2 mins. 30 secs. (Music available from the composer.)
First Performance: Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester
22nd June 2008
String Quartet No. 2
Commissioned by her family to celebrate the 85th birthday of Thilde Frankel on December 13th 2008
11 mins. (Pub. Composers Edition)
Private Performance at Thilde Frankel’s house – 6th December 2009
First Public Performance: Royal Northern College of Music Manchester – Apponyi Quartet
January 8th 2010
“Adam Gorb’s String Quartet no. 2 could hardly have offered a greater contrast. Premiered by the Apponyi Quartet, it fell into four clearly delimited sections within its 11-minute total, changing speed and character each time. More than once it seemed to search after the wistful, viola-solo meditative quality that is to some the essence of Englishness. Tantalisingly, it deserted those moments of sunlit beauty almost as soon as it discovered them.” Robert Beale, January 2010
Sisohpromatem
Violin, Cello, Electric Guitar, Piano, 1 Percussion
6 mins. (pub. Awayday)
First Performance: Royal Northern College of Music – Vulgar Display Ensemble
December 6th 2012
Sonatina for Eight Hands (2013)
Percussion Quartet (unturned instruments)
4 mins. 30 secs. (Pub. Composers Edition)
First Performance: Royal Northern College of Music- RNCM Percussion Ensemble
May 2nd 2013
A New Life for Anya (2012)
6 mins 15 secs (Pub. Composers Edition)
First Performance: The Forge, Camden, London
Tempest Trio – www.tempestflutetrio.com
April 11th 2012
CD Recording: Tempest Trio pending
Tempest Trio performing A New Life for Anya at Kings Place, London 15th Sept 2012
Yiddish Dances (1997-8)
Arranged for Guitar Quartet by Mark Eden (2013)
16 mins. (pub. Maecenas)
First Performance: Purcell Room – Vida Guitar Quartet
April 22nd 2013
CD Recording: Vida Guitar Quartet BGS 121
Invocation
One percussionist (vibraphone, crotales and tam tam) and piano.
9 mins. (Pub. Composers Edition)
First Performance: Rosengart Museum, Lucerne, Switzerland
Le Yu, Percussion and Ben Powell, Piano
October 19th 2014
Tapas
Quarter Tone Alto flute, Cor Anglais and Bass Clarinet
7 mins. (Materials available from the composer.)
First Performance: RNCM Rarescale May 5th 2015
Melange a Trois
Violin, Clarinet and Piano
12 mins. (Pub. Composers Edition)
First Performance: Alderley Edge Methodist Church – Pleyel Ensemble April 10th 2016
Gravity
Clarinet and String Quartet
5 mins. (Pub. Composers Edition)
First Performance: RNCM Linda Merrick and the Kreutzer String Quartet May 2016
Serenad…
Oboe, Horn and Harpsichord
5 mins. (Pub. Composers Edition)
First Performance: University of Glasgow Memorial Chapel
Royal Scottish National Orchestra Chamber Players March 22nd 2018
Viderunt Omnes
Saxophone quartet
6 mins. (Pub. Composers Edition)
First Performance: RNCM Lucida Saxophone Quartet June 20th 2018
Let Them Play
Saxophone Quartet
7 mins. (Pub. Composers Edition)
First Performance: World Saxophone Congress Zagreb
Household Division Saxophone Quartet July 13th 2018
Aria for John (4 mins) 2019
Treble Recorder and String Quartet
Commissioned by John Turner
(Pub. Composers Edition)
First Performance: Cosmo Rodewald Hall Manchester University
John Turner and the Victoria String Quartet
April 6th 2019
Magma 1200 (6 mins) 2019
Two percussionists
(Performing materials available from the composer)
First Performance: Bridgewater Hall Manchester
Delia Stevens and Le Yu
January 23rd 2020
Saxatine 2020 (9 mins)
Two saxophonists
First Performance Gedok, Stuttgart, Germany
Lena Brendel and Tasuku Noguchi
October 3rd 2020
Performing materials available from the composer