During the turn of the seventeenth century, public displays of private sorrow were fashionable, facilitated by wealthy patrons bringing musicians and poets into their homes.
Recording & Production
This recording was made in Sengwarden, Germany, in September 2021, between COVID-19 lockdowns.
Performer Biography
Alexander Chance, a countertenor on this album, was the first countertenor to win the International Handel Singing Competition in 2022, also receiving the Audience Prize.
Historical Context
The album's subject matter is influenced by the 'melancholic' Zeitgeist of the past two years, marked by illness, anxiety, and isolation, as well as increasing artistic isolation.
Recording & Production
The recording was conceived after a house concert hosted by Christian Kuhlmann, a harpsichord-maker, who also provided generous patronage for the album.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Thomas Campion, a contemporary of Dowland, advocated for a succinct compositional style, comparing 'Ayres in musicke' to 'Epigrams in Poetrie' that are 'short and well seasoned'.
Instruments
The lute, a key instrument in the English lute song tradition, arrived in England from Moorish Spain in the sixteenth century and was played by figures like Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.
You might also enjoy...
Orpheus in England
Amor eterno
Music for a While
Loves Alchymie
The Elfin Knight
Amanti, io vi sò dire
Kirkby, Emma: Musique and Sweet Poetrie - Jewels From Europe Around 1600
Caccini & Peri: Li due orfei
Douce amie: Chansons de Trouvères
Paul Sperry Sings Romantic American Songs
Shakespeare's Lutenist: Theatre Music by Robert Johnson
