Nocturnal

Featuring

Jakob Lindberg
Anthony Holborne
Edward Collard
Daniel Bacheler
John Danyel
Anonymous

Francis Cutting
Benjamin Britten
John Dowland
John Johnson
Robert Johnson

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Compositional Technique

Daniel Bacheler's Pavan in F quotes the beginning of John Dowland's "Lachrimae Pavan" but changes the opening phrase from minor to major, bringing light to Dowland's dark theme.

Performer Biography

Jakob Lindberg, born in Sweden, developed his initial passion for music through The Beatles before studying at Stockholm University and the Royal College of Music in London.

Composer's Artistic Vision

John Dowland's music is often melancholic, and his fantasia "Farewell" may represent an effort to connect with the 'supercelestial world' and divine truth, as described in Francesco Giorgi's book "De harmonia mundi."

Instruments

The lute was the most prolific solo instrument in Europe during the Renaissance and Baroque eras, with more music written for it than any other instrument before 1800.

Historical Context

The subtle pavan "Countess of Pembroke's Paradise" by Anthony Holborne was dedicated to Mary Sidney, a poet and patroness of the arts whose estate became a 'paradise for poets' for figures like Michael Drayton and Samuel Danyel.

Interpretation

Performer Jakob Lindberg chose to devote his life to the historical lute repertoire and play it using the techniques of the old masters, motivated by what he felt was the lute's superior repertoire and the sensual contact of plucking its strings.

Composition History

Benjamin Britten's "Nocturnal, after John Dowland" was originally conceived for the lute, as Britten "adored the lute," before being composed for guitar for Julian Bream.