Gerard Hoffnung: The man who made music fun

It was a night like no other in the classical calendar. A cast of distinguished international musicians had assembled at the Royal Festival Hall in 1956 under the direction of a young German-born cartoonist and broadcaster named Gerard Hoffnung for a night of irreverence, clowning and joy. By this time, Hoffnung (whose centenary took place last month) had already published three books of musical cartoons and attracted much interest among classical aficionados. Generally speaking, the classical and operatic scene is not a ‘barrel of laughs’ so the irrepressible Hoffnung – while wholly committed to the making and appreciation of music – made it his mission in life to inject some wit and mischief into the somewhat sober world of oratorios, symphonies and concertos.

When his idea for an irreverent concert in which musicians had the opportunity to make fun of themselves was first announced at a press conference, The Times gave it a rather pompous thumbs up: ‘(Hoffnung) wishes to purge our concert-going of its habitually imperceptive solemnity to indicate the humour in music we forget to notice. A breath of fresh air in the arts is a blessing.’ Not everyone was as optimistic as Hoffnung about its likely success, however. His friend, the actor Sam Wanamaker, whom Hoffnung had persuaded to produce the concert, feared ‘it would all end in a terrifying shambles of amateur hijinks’ and even Hoffnung’s devoted wife, Annetta, was concerned by ‘the confusion and a feeling of quiet hysteria’ at the dress rehearsal.

Hoffnung’s books of music cartoons viewed the classical music sphere through a lens of levity and wit, offering a wholly different approach to the genre (Left: Lady Harpist with Man’s Arm, 1958, from Hoffnung’s Musical Chairs; Right: Double Violin Concerto, 1955, from The Hoffnung Symphony Orchestra ©The Gerard Hoffnung Partnership)

On the night itself, their doubts and fears were soon dispelled by the ’explosion of mirth’ which accompanied a succession of ever more bizarre events. These included a concerto for hosepipe and orchestra; a specially composed overture consisting of 48 references from classical favourites; a Chopin mazurka for piano rearranged for a tuba quartet; and an overture written by Malcolm Arnold in which the orchestra was augmented by three vacuum cleaners and a floor polisher.

All 3,000 seats were sold within two hours of going on sale, breaking all records for the Royal Festival Hall at that time, and selling out faster than a recent, hugely popular appearance by American pianist Liberace.

A concerto for hosepipe and orchestra, a Chopin mazurka for tuba quartet and an overture played by three vacuum cleaners and a floor polisher: These were just a few of the musical marvels presented at Hoffnung’s Interplanetary Music Festival ©The Gerard Hoffnung Partnership

When a second concert was mooted two years later, Hoffnung was doubtful he could match the success of the first, but his ambition got the better of any reservations and the Hoffnung Interplanetary Music Festival proved to be even more outlandish – and popular – than the first one, boasting a cast of hundreds. Sadly, it was not possible to have the Valkyries arrive on motorcycles, as he had hoped, because the London County Council (as it was then) forbade the use of petrol engines in its theatres. Nor would the structure of the Royal Festival Hall allow the second trombone to reach his place on the platform by tightrope. But a ping pong table, chosen for its particular resonance and rhythm, was placed among the orchestra for the first time, as was the hiss of an old-fashioned Espresso coffee machine. No less than seven composers were commissioned by Hoffnung to write works for the concert. Perhaps the most memorable was Metamorphosis on a Bedtime Theme, which imagined how the great composers would have come up with a TV jingle for the popular bedtime drink of the time, Cadbury’s ‘Bournvita’.

Musical maverick: Gerard Hoffnung’s fun-filled approach to performance is perpetuated by his son Ben and daughter Emily who have created a website in their father’s name (Gerard Hoffnung circa 1948 ©The Gerard Hoffnung Partnership)

The concert was also notable for offering Hoffnung’s debut as a conductor. Despite having no previous experience, he rose to the occasion with a virtuoso 15-minute display. A reviewer for The Saturday Review wrote afterwards: ‘From the moment he bounded on to the rostrum to give his baton a rapier point at the end of a pencil sharpener until his final dash to the rear of the orchestra to shake hands with the tuba player, it was an exhibition worthy of Danny Kaye, culminating in a fearsome duel, all the way up the auditorium, with a jealous solo pianist.’

There were to be five more Hoffnung music festivals between 1960 and 1988, but sadly they all took place without the presiding maestro, who died suddenly from a brain haemorrhage in 1959 at the age of 34. It was a shocking loss not just for his wife Annetta and their two young children, Ben and Emily, but for the huge network of friends and admirers he had amassed in his lifetime. As one of his obituarists wrote, ‘It is usual to say that a man has left behind a gap that cannot be filled. For Gerard Hoffnung, there would be needed a handful of men, all of them greatly gifted.’ His friend, the conductor Lawrence Leonard, who was involved in the Hoffnung concerts, wrote after his death, ‘There is no doubt in my mind that he would have eventually turned composer and would have written some mad, convinced and utterly unforgettable music.’

Ben Hoffnung, now a professional musician, was four when his father died. Along with his sister Emily, who was one year old at the time, he is hoping to mount an exhibition of their father’s comedic art next year, along with a new book. As custodians of Hoffnung’s artistic legacy, they have happily carried on where their mother, Annetta, who died in 2018, left off. Not surprisingly they want to ensure that Hoffnung’s prolific output, in all its originality, brilliance and joy, will be savoured by future generations.

All drawings by Gerard Hoffnung reproduced by kind permission of The Gerard Hoffnung Partnership, London. ©The Gerard Hoffnung Partnership