Dowland served as a royal lutenist at the Danish Court for Christian IV, receiving a generous salary of 500 daler a year, but was eventually dismissed due to financial difficulties and overstaying his leave.
Compositional Technique
Dowland's solo lute music is highly varied, ranging from light, frivolous pieces to profound works expressing deep melancholy, and is characterized by a unique tunefulness.
Historical Context
During his travels in Italy, Dowland was approached by English Catholics in exile in Florence who were plotting against the English Crown and offered him a 'large pension of the Pope' to join them.
Composer Biography
John Dowland, a lutenist and composer, was denied a court lutenist position to Queen Elizabeth in 1594, which he believed was due to his conversion to Catholicism.
Compositional Technique
Dowland was a master of 'divisions,' evident in his pavans where varied repeats are full of invention, and his chromatic fantasias use startling harmonies and ingenious chromatic themes to express melancholy.
Instruments
The recording uses an 8-course orpharion, a wire-strung instrument, for pieces that require notes beyond the twelfth fret, as lutes seldom had more than twelve frets.
Composition History
Unlike his published lute songs and dances, the majority of Dowland's solo lute music has survived in less reliable forms, often without his direct involvement in their preservation.
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