Julian's Jottings

‘I simply didn’t understand why my first entrance had to be on a motorbike.’

Esteemed opera colleague

An introduction to the pasticcio...

'He takes other men's pebbles and polishes them into diamonds'. So said Boyce concerning Handel’s now notorious habit of incorporating music by other composers into his own works. But was such musical alchemy an unusual practice in the Baroque period?

I first met Christopher whilst an undergraduate at Cambridge University, when he introduced me to his extensive keyboard collection at his home in Brookside on which he kindly allowed me to practise.

There is a touching anecdote that illustrates Handel’s respect for Purcell. When told that a movement of Jephtha reminded the listener ‘‘of some of old Purcell’s music’’, Handel is said to have replied: ‘‘O got ter teffel. If Purcell had lived, he would have composed better music than this.’’

Stephen Dodgson died at his home in Barnes on April 13th, 2013. He was 89.

Few composers have written idiomatically for such an array of musical instruments. In addition to his celebrated guitar pieces, Stephen’s many compositions include nine string quartets, seven piano sonatas, wind band music, a bass trombone concerto and a chamber opera.