John Dowland, a Renaissance bard, was revered by his contemporaries as the 'English Orpheus' and his music has found many admirers, including pop singer Sting, who recorded a CD of Dowland's songs in 2006.
Historical Context
The melancholy in John Dowland's music was not only personal but also reflected a fashion in Elizabethan England, where a doleful attitude was part of the zeitgeist, possibly due to the English Reformation and religious uncertainty.
Composer's Artistic Vision
John Dowland's music often explores love in all its facets, from pleasure to sorrow, and he was known for his great compositional mastery, instinct for unpretentious melodies, and subtle text settings.
Instruments
Susanne Peuker, the lutenist on this album, plays an eight-course Renaissance lute built in 1991 by Wolfgang Früh, based on the Venere model.
Performer Biography
Hanna Thyssen (soprano) and Susanne Peuker (lute) formed the ensemble Fortune's Musicke in 2004, dedicating themselves to performing English music of the 16th and 17th centuries, with a focus on lute-accompanied solo songs (ayres).
Composer Biography
John Dowland, the composer, was a great melancholic, and his pessimistic attitude was more than just an artistic pose; he even titled a pavan 'Semper Dowland, semper Dolens' ('Always Dowland, always doleful').
Composer Biography
John Dowland faced a tangible biographical reason for his anguish: he had to wait until he was 49 years old to be appointed 'Musician for the lute' at the English royal court, after years of traveling Europe and feeling unappreciated.
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Dowland & Britten: Melancholy, Nocturnal
Dowland: Complete Lute Works, Vol. 1
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