Last month I had the pleasure of reviewing the first excellent volume of Stephen Dodgson's piano music. This month brings the second instalment of Claudio Contemporary's series, again performed by the brilliant Bernard Roberts, and it likewise makes splendid listening.

Claudio have taken an unusual approach to the releases. The scheme of contents for these volumes is not chronological - where volume one presented sonatas 2, 4 and 5, volume two presents sonatas 1, 3 and 6 and in so doing juxtaposes works composed over a thirty-five year period. I believe this enlightened programming invites a better acquaintances with Dodgson and his music, and this is surely very much the spirit of these important recordings.

...repertoire worthy and satisfying to listener and performer alike.

Having already heard three later works, the first sonata really is an astonishing manifesto of compositional technique. Everything is formed with such clarity and confidence: the revision of the classical form, the inventiveness of rhythmic motivic development and the vivid colours of a shifting, multiple tonality. Add to this, of course, idiomatic management of the piano and, indeed, an implicit sympathy with the pianist, and you have repertoire worthy and satisfying to listener and performer alike.

The third sonata, subtitled Variations on a Rhythm, explores in sixteen episodes the nature of ideal rhythmic proportion and during its course pays homage to Bach in a subtle three-part invention. By contrast to such a huge array of diverse texture and colour, the sixth sonata opens with a sublime and fluent Andante con moto. This lucid play of motifs scintillates like water in sunlight and would certainly be my highlight of the disc, for nothing demonstrates more eloquently the masterly control that Dodgson has of form: the music has the freedom to drift without ever losing direction.

However innovative or iconoclastic, great music never fails to include the listener. Dodgson's piano music, whilst new and unfamiliar, remains welcoming and accessible throughout. To experience this double pleasure, I would probably recommend this second volume as the better introduction - to miss out the first would be a definite loss.

Crispin Woodhead