News
MusicWeb review: Dodgson Quintets CD
June 19, 2017
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"All the performances are absolutely splendid and quite beautifully recorded and balanced, with a pleasingly wide sound stage. The piano sound in particular is exemplary. Booklet notes are by John Warrack and are models of their kind.
Toccata can be proud of this generously-filled offering which is a very worthwhile and welcome addition to the discography of an unjustly neglected composer."
British Music Society review: Quintets CD and Harpsichord Inventions CD
June 05, 2017
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"Toccata continues its excellent mission to propagate the music of Stephen Dodgson whilst Naxos has also done the composer proud with its disc of 24 Inventions for Harpsichord. Everything here is a premiere recording....
The performances are uniformly splendid and the church acoustic has been well judged. John Warrack’s notes are similarly first-class... The recording quality is excellent. Let’s hope there are many more such excellent discs before the centenary of Dodgson’s birth in 2024."
Planet Hugill review of Dodgson Complete Music for Cello and Piano CD
June 05, 2017
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"The music is complex yet approachable, always with a spicy twist to the harmony. I found the musical language rather reminiscent of that of Kenneth Leighton with the combination of melodic fragments and toughness...
The performances from Evva Mizerska and Emma Abbate are excellent, with the two demonstrating the sort of balanced partnership which the music presupposes. Both bring out the lyricism, fascination and challenge of Dodgson's music."
Fanfare magazine review of Dodgson Complete Music for Cello and Piano CD
May 10, 2017
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Once the music reveals its secrets, it becomes intensely appealing... Five Occasional Pieces, like the other works on the album, are the products of an original, highly distinctive, consistently surprising voice, making what is now the collection devoted entirely to Dodgson’s music long overdue.
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The Boat Race – Barnes Music Festival
April 19, 2017
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Late last month I joined a throng of excited parents and music-lovers attending a delightful concert at St Mary’s church, Barnes, which featured the music of Stephen Dodgson. The concert was part of the fifth Barnes Music Festival. The Dodgson works, all on the subject of London, rivers or the Boat Race, interwove the festival’s theme of ‘Music & Place’ as well as being superbly timed ahead the actual 2017 Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race a week later. The concert, set against a backdrop of an exquisite photography exhibition of nature and people around the River Thames and other locations, brought together […]
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Reflections on Suites for Clavichord – Marie van Rhijn
April 07, 2017
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In January this year, Marie van Rhijn performed several movements from Stephen Dodgson’s two Suites for Clavichord as part of her ‘Time Machine’ concert at the Handel House in London. Here, she tells us about performing these works. “On 10th January, I was delighted to perform several works by Stephen Dodgson at a recital for the British Clavichord Society and the British Harpsichord Society at the Handel and Hendrix House. I was lucky to play a beautiful clavichord by Peter Bavington. From the first suite, I chose first the ‘Plaint’, then the ‘Tambourin’. To me, those two movements really connect […]
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New recording released: Inventions for Harpsichord
April 05, 2017
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We’re very pleased to announce the release of the recording of 24 Inventions for Harpsichord by Stephen Dodgson (Sets 1-4), recorded by Ekaterina Likhina on Naxos. For more about the Ekaterina’s style and approach, and the recording process, see the earlier blog about the Inventions CD. The official blurb: “Stephen Dodgson won Royal Philharmonic Society prizes for his early compositions, which signalled his emergence as a significant figure in British musical life. Though he composed in most genres he wrote with particular distinction for guitar and harpsichord and his sets of Inventions for harpsichord span a period of almost forty years. Scarlatti remained his inspiration […]
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British Music Society review: Complete cello and piano works CD
April 03, 2017
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A gratifyingly insightful and complimentary review of the Stephen Dodgson ‘Complete Music for Cello and Piano’ by Jonathan Woolf in this month’s British Music Society newsletter: “Since Stephen Dodgson was fond of the medium of chamber music and as he wrote so well for the voice it’s not surprising that his cello works should be so infused with lyric-vocal qualities. The Cello Sonata of 1969 shows a fine conception of equals in a clearly structured three-movement work that reveals echoes of Bartókian Nocturne and a spare call-and-response between the instruments. There’s a certain refined introspection to Dodgson’s writing and an […]
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Quintets CD release – 1st March
February 22, 2017
We are delighted to announce the imminent release (1st March) of the next Toccata Classics Stephen Dodgson recording: three quintets performed by the Tippett Quartet, Emma Abbate (piano) and Susan Monks (cello). Piano Quintet No. 1 in C (1966) String Quintet (1986) Piano Quintet No. 2 (1999) These three quintets continue the exploration of his chamber music on Toccata Classics. Dodgson’s musical language inherited something of Shostakovich’s irony, Janáček’s spiky energy and Britten’s polished clarity, occasionally reaching further into the past in passages of Purcellian dignity, all animated with a gentle harmonic warmth of Dodgson’s own. The result, in a […]
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Latest news
Upcoming events
Feb
17
Sun
2019
3:00 pm Emma Abbate and the Tippett Quar... @ Canterbury Music Club, St Gregory's Centre for Music
Emma Abbate and the Tippett Quar... @ Canterbury Music Club, St Gregory's Centre for Music 
Feb 17 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Pianist Emma Abbate and the Tippett Quartet unite for a performance of piano quintets, hosted by the Canterbury Music Club, including Stephen Dodgson’s Piano Quintet No. 1 which they recently recorded on the Toccata Classics label and a voted a MusicWeb recording of the year. Programme Haydn: String quartet op. 33 no. 1 Dodgson: Piano quintet no. 1 in C Puccini: “Crisantemi” for String quartet Schumann: Piano quintet in E flat major Quintets CD reviews MusicWeb review British Music Society review Klassisk Musikk review Musical Opinion review You can also listen to/buy the recording at Toccata Classics.
Mar
14
Thu
2019
1:00 pm Evva Mizerska and Emma Abbate – ... @ St George's, Bristol
Evva Mizerska and Emma Abbate – ... @ St George's, Bristol 
Mar 14 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Cellist Evva Mizerska and pianist Emma Abbate perform a lunchtime recital of Stephen Dodgson’s Two Romantic Pieces for Cello & Piano, Set A at St George’s Bristol alongside works by Schumann, Janáček and Debussy. The Two Romantic Pieces also feature on a disc of Stephen Dodgson’s complete cello and piano music which the duo recently recorded. Reviews British Music Society Fanfare Planet Hugill
1:00 pm Leo Popplewell – Partita for Cello @ Barnes Music Festival
Leo Popplewell – Partita for Cello @ Barnes Music Festival 
Mar 14 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Cellist Leo Popplewell performs a lunchtime recital featuring Stephen Dodgson’s Partita for Cello alongside works by Benjamin Britten and Elliot Carter as part of the 2019 Barnes Music Festival. St. Mary’s Church, Church Road SW13 9HL. Tickets: http://www.barnesmusicfestival.com/tickets. For the full festival programme, please visit http://www.barnesmusicfestival.com/programme-2019.
Mar
15
Fri
2019
7:30 pm Magnard Ensemble – Alnwick Music... @ St. Michael's Church, Alnwick
Magnard Ensemble – Alnwick Music... @ St. Michael's Church, Alnwick 
Mar 15 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
The Magnard Ensemble will perform Stephen Dodgson’s Suite for Wind Quintet along with works by Ibert, Bach, Barber and more in Alnwick as part of the Alnwick Music Society series. Programme Ibert – Trois pièces brèves Dodgson – Suite for Wind Quintet Bach arr. Shiner – Prelude & Fugue in C# minor BWV 849 Arnold – Three Shanties Barber – Summer Music Woolrich – Book of Studies Set 1 Amy Beach – Pastorale Patterson – Westerly Winds
Mar
31
Sun
2019
6:30 pm Karolos – trios @ Conway Hall, London
Karolos – trios @ Conway Hall, London 
Mar 31 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Karolos, in their trio format of Harriet Mackenzie, Sarah-Jane Bradley and Graham Walker, perform Stephen Dodgson’s 1st trio alongside Mozart Divertimento in E Flat K563. Programme Dodgson –Trio No. 1 Mozart – Divertimento in E Flat K563 Performers Harriet Mackenzie (violin) Sarah-Jane Bradley (viola) Graham Walker (cello)
Jun
7
Fri
2019
4:00 pm James Turnbull & Eleanor Turner ... @ Swaledale Festival
James Turnbull & Eleanor Turner ... @ Swaledale Festival 
Jun 7 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Oboist James Turnbull and harpist Eleanor Turner perform Stephen Dodgson’s Countdown at the Swaledale Festival in a concert which also includes works by Bach, Ravel, Fauré, Donizetti and Vaughan Williams. St Mary’s Church, Arkengarthdale, Richmond, DL11 6EW The full Swaledale Festival programme will be available at: https://swalefest.org/Whats-On/Programme. CD reviews Countdown was also recently recorded by James and Eleanor on a complete CD of Stephen Dodgson oboe works. British Music Society (1) British Music Society (2) Klassisk Musikk MusicWeb International Double Reed News Review of Countdown – UK Harp Magazine Sample or buy the recording Stephen Dodgson’s ‘Music for Oboe’ recording is available[...]
Jul
5
Fri
2019
7:00 pm Margaret Catchpole @ Britten Studio, Snape Maltings
Margaret Catchpole @ Britten Studio, Snape Maltings 
Jul 5 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
A concert performance of Stephen Dodgson’s chamber opera Margaret Catchpole: Two Worlds Apart – a tale of misguided loyalty, passion and fate. Dodgson’s 1979 chamber opera tells the story of Suffolk heroine, criminal and chronicler Margaret Catchpole. The opera immerses us in the internal battle between her own good character and values, and her heartfelt loyalty to Will Laud, a smuggler – the man she loves. Libretto by Ronald Fletcher based on the novel by Richard Cobbold. A pre-performance talk by Anthony Cobbold will be given at 6pm. Venue: The performance is at the Britten Studio at Snape Maltings in Suffolk. Cast: Kate Howden, Matthew[...]
Aug
11
Sun
2019
3:00 pm The Italian Connection – Sounds ... @ Cratfield, Suffolk
The Italian Connection – Sounds ... @ Cratfield, Suffolk 
Aug 11 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
If Italy was the ‘cradle of the renaissance’, it was also the ‘playground of the Baroque’. Julian Perkins and Sounds Baroque’s The Italian Connection celebrates the infusion of Italian music throughout Europe with a programme that juxtaposes works by esteemed Baroque Masters with Baroque-inspired tonal works by Stephen Dodgson. Dodgson works include Invention No. 5 from Set 1: ‘The Worm’; Invention No. 5 from Set 2: ‘Plush and Roses’ and The New Terpsichore, Book 1. Julian Perkins harpsichord Sophie Barber violin Karin Björk violin Henrik Persson cello Sounds Baroque Italian Connection programme Find out more about Concerts at Cratfield.
Sep
19
Thu
2019
7:30 pm Emma Abbate & the Tippett Quarte... @ Penkhull Festival, Stoke-on-Trent
Emma Abbate & the Tippett Quarte... @ Penkhull Festival, Stoke-on-Trent 
Sep 19 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Pianist Emma Abbate and the Tippett Quartet perform a concert of piano quintets, at the Penkhull Festival of Music, including Stephen Dodgson’s Piano Quintet No. 1 which they recently recorded on the Toccata Classics label and a voted a MusicWeb recording of the year. Programme Dodgson: Piano quintet no. 1 in C Schumann: Piano quintet op. 44 in E flat major St Thomas’s Church Manor Court Street Penkhull Stoke-on-Trent Staffs ST4 7LG
Mar
17
Tue
2020
9:00 pm Emma Abbate & the Tippett Quarte... @ I Concerti della Normale – Pisa
Emma Abbate & the Tippett Quarte... @ I Concerti della Normale – Pisa
Mar 17 @ 9:00 pm – 10:30 pm
On what would have been Stephen Dodgson’s 97th birthday, pianist Emma Abbate and the Tippett Quartet perform a concert of quartets and quintets in Pisa including Dodgson’s Piano Quintet No. 1. Programme Haydn: String quartet op. 33 no. 1 Dodgson: Piano quintet no. 1 in C Schumann: Piano quintet op. 44 in E flat major I Concerti della Normale Teatro Verdi Via Palestro 40 56127 Pisa Italy
