Much of Stephen Dodgson's output remains neglected, partly because his subtle and undemonstrative music ran counter to prevailing fashions of the time, and his frequent employment by the BBC caused his work to be underestimated.
Performer Biography
Roderick Williams, one of the baritones on this album, is also a composer whose works have been premiered at notable venues and who won the prize for best choral composition at the British Composer Awards in 2016.
Compositional Technique
Dodgson was particularly interested in writing for the guitar, inspired by Julian Bream, and became one of the country's most significant composers for the instrument despite not being a guitarist himself.
Composer Biography
Stephen Dodgson, born in 1924, received his first composition lessons from Bernard Stevens and later studied at the Royal College of Music.
Compositional Technique
Dodgson's interest in less well-known English poetry and folk verse led him to set Australian Bush Ballads, using his own melodic style rather than their conventional melodies.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Dodgson's music, while tonal-based, was influenced by the freedom of Leos Janáček's approach and the structural control of Martinů, leading to freer phraseology and harmonic subtlety.
Recording & Production
All the recordings on this album are first recordings, with the exception of the 'Four Poems of John Clare'.
