Full Description
This volume marks the centenary of British composer Stephen Dodgson (1924-2013), whose long, distinguished and multi-faceted career produced many highly distinctive works in a voice that could be both playful and deeply evocative. An approachable, thoughtful book for the musician and curious layperson alike, it brings together interviews and specially commissioned articles on Dodgson's musical output as well as a selection of the composer's own warmly erudite writings and broadcasts. These sit alongside personal reflections and anecdotes from his friends and family, providing a rounded picture of Stephen Dodgson, the musician and the man. With a wide variety of his work, from opera to chamber music, now available on recordings, this book is a consolidation of Stephen Dodgson's importance as a fixture in British music, both in the post-war period and today.
Contents
INTRODUCTION
What to Do with a 1920s Boy? (Thomas Hyde)
Dancing to the Music of his Time (Thomas Hyde with Jane Clark Dodgson)
PART 1 - The Composer's Voice
1. Personal View of a Composer (October 1991)
2. Piano Trios, Quartets and Quintets (March 1975)
3. On Writing a String Quartet after a Gap of 25 Years
(July 1987)
4. The Harp (and Harpists) in my Life (February 1993)
PART 2 - Memories & Tributes
Jane Clark Dodgson
Ursula Jones
Paul Driver
Jonathan Leathwood
Mark Eden
Anthony Legge
John Lill
Richard Field
PART 3 - Perspectives on Stephen Dodgson's Work 109
1. Introducing the Music (Robert Matthew-Walker)
2. The Guitar Works (Lance Bosman)
3. The String Quartets (Joanna Bullivant)
4. Works for Harpsichord (Pamela Nash)
5. The Operas: Two Worlds Apart (Philip Cooke)
6. The Songs: A Singer's Perspective (Stuart O'Hara)
7. The Choral Music (David Wordsworth)
8. Stephen Dodgson's Neo-Classical Language (Oliver Chandler)
9. Putting It Together: The Last Work (Simon Ferris)
ENDMATTER
List of Compositions
Recordings
Contributors
Image Credits
Index A - General
Index B - Works
