Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 49.djvu/83

 firm of Boosey & Co. a series of operas in vocal score, under the title of ‘The Standard Lyric Drama,’ which were the earliest to be published at moderate price, and which contained the valuable innovation of noting prominent orchestral effects above the pianoforte part. For many years Rockstro was chiefly known to the musical world as the composer of pianoforte fantasias, transcriptions, and drawing-room pieces, which he continued to produce after he left London for Torquay, a change made on account of his own and his mother's health. He also enjoyed a high reputation as a teacher of singing and the pianoforte, and from 1867 was organist and honorary precentor at All Saints Church, Babbacombe. On the death of his mother in 1876, he openly joined the church of Rome.

On musical archæology Rockstro ultimately concentrated most of his attention, and in that branch of the art he soon had no rival among his contemporaries. His ‘Festival Psalter adapted to the Gregorian Tones,’ with T. F. Ravenshaw (1863), and ‘Accompanying Harmonies to the Ferial Psalter’ (1869), did much to promote the intelligent study of ancient church music. Two examples may be given of his insight into the methods and style of the great Italian contrapuntists, and more especially of Palestrina. A composition which he sent in anonymously to a competition held by the Madrigal Society about 1883 was so closely modelled upon Palestrina's work that the presiding judge rejected it on the ground that it must have been literally copied. It is the beautiful madrigal ‘O too cruel fair,’ perhaps the best example of Rockstro's work as a composer. On another occasion, in scoring a sacred work by Palestrina, an hiatus of considerable length was discovered in one of the only set of parts then known to exist in England. The missing portion was conjecturally restored by Rockstro, and on the discovery of a complete copy the restoration was found to represent the original exactly.

But Rockstro's deep and practical knowledge of the ancient methods of composition, of modal counterpoint, and of the artistic conditions of old times, was only imperfectly turned to account—in some useful little manuals on harmony (1881) and counterpoint (1882)—until the publication of Sir George Grove's ‘Dictionary of Music and Musicians,’ to which he contributed many articles on subjects connected with ecclesiastical music and the archæological side of music. In 1886 Rockstro published a valuable ‘General History of Music,’ and produced with little success an oratorio, ‘The Good Shepherd,’ at the Gloucester Festival, under his own direction. His literary work increased as years went on, and he finally settled in London in 1891, where, in spite of failing health, he achieved not only much work as a teacher, but delivered lectures at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College, and was appointed at the latter institution teacher of a class for counterpoint and plain-song. He died in London on 2 July 1895.

Besides the writings already enumerated, and a few short stories published in 1856–8, Rockstro's chief works were: 1. ‘A History of Music for Young Students’ (1879). 2. ‘The Life of George Frederick Handel’ (1883). 3. ‘Mendelssohn’ (Great Musicians Series, 1884). 4. ‘Jenny Lind the Artist’ (in collaboration with Canon Scott Holland, 1891; abridged edition, 1893). 5. ‘Jenny Lind, her Vocal Art and Culture’ (partly reprinted from the biography, 1894).

[Parish Registers, Morden, Surrey; Register of the Leipzig Conservatorium, communicated by Herr G. Schreck; Musical Herald, August 1895; private information; personal knowledge.] 

RODD, EDWARD HEARLE (1810–1880), ornithologist, born at the vicarage of St. Just-in-Roseland, Cornwall, on 17 March 1810, was third son of Edward Rodd, D.D. (1768–1842), by his wife Hariet, daughter of Charles Rashleigh, esq., of Duporth, Cornwall. He was educated at Ottery St. Mary school, and trained for the law, being admitted to practise as a solicitor in Trinity term 1832. Early in the following year he settled at Penzance, where he entered into partnership with George Dennis John. On John's death Rodd was joined by one Drake, and after the latter's death the firm became Rodd & Cornish. Rodd retired about 1878. He had also held many official posts in the town. He was town clerk from 1847, clerk to the local board from 1849, clerk to the board of guardians from the passing of the Poor Law Act, and superintendent registrar, besides being head distributor of stamps in Cornwall from 1844 to 1867. He died unmarried at Penzance on 25 Jan. 1880, and was buried in the cemetery there.

Rodd was an ardent ornithologist, and especially interested in the question of migration. He studied minutely the avifauna of his county, and it was entirely due to his exertion that many a rare bird was rescued from oblivion, while several species were added by him to the list of British birds.

Besides upwards of twenty papers on ornithological matters contributed to the ‘Zoologist,’ the ‘Ibis,’ and the ‘Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall’ from 1843