John Dowland, Part 2

Program: #14-30   Air Date: Jul 21, 2014

NOTE: This is the second of two programs looking at recent releases dedicated to composer John Dowland.
 

I. Dowland in Dublin (La Nef/Michael Slattery, tenor). Atma CD ACD2 2650.

"To my loving countryman, Mr. John Forster the younger, merchant of Dublin, in Ireland." In thus dedicating the song 'From Silent Night' in his collection A Pilgrim's Solace (1612), John Dowland reveals his possible Irish origins. Was Dowland, often considered the first great English composer, actually Irish? He may have belonged to an old Irish family, the O'Dolans, who settled in Dublin in the middle of the 16th century. Dowland is mainly known today for the expressiveness of his Ayres. In putting together this project, La Nef chose to concentrate on the more light-hearted side of Dowland. Working closely with American tenor Michael Slattery, La Nef start to strip some of Dowland's Ayres of their complex, contrapuntal accompaniments, giving them a simple celtic flavor

1. Book of Songs, Book 1: Now, O Now I Needs Must Part (arr. S. Dagher and M. Slattery)
2. Book of Songs, Book 3: Behold a wonder here (arr. S. Dagher and M. Slattery)
3. Book of Songs, Book 2: Fine Knacks for Ladies (arr. S. Dagher)
4. Book of Songs, Book 3: Say, Love, if ever thou didst find (arr. S. Dagher)
5. Book of Songs, Book 1: Away with these self-loving lads (arr. S. Bergeron)
6. Book of Songs, Book 1: Come again, sweet love doth now invite (arr. S. Dagher and M. Slattery)
7. Book of Songs, Book 1: Come, heavy sleep (arr. S. Bergeron)
8. Lachrimae Pavan, P. 15 (arr. S. Bergeron for lute)
9. Book of Songs, Book 3: Time stands still (arr. S. Dagher)
10. Book of Songs, Book 3: Me, me and none but me (arr. S. Bergeron)
11. Kemp's Jig - Mistress Winter's Jump - My Lady Hunsdon's Puffe (arr. S. Bergeron)
12. Book of Songs, Book 2: Clear or cloudy sweet as April showering (arr. S. Dagher)
13. Book of Songs, Book 2: O sweet woods, the delight of solitariness (arr. S. Bergeron)
14. Mr. Bucton's Galliard, H. 19 (arr. S. Dagher)
15. Book of Songs, Book 2: A shepherd in a shade (arr. S. Bergeron and M. Slattery)
16. Book of Songs, Book 1: His golden locks Time hath to silver turned (arr. S. Dagher and M. Slattery)

II. Pavans and Fantasies from the Age of Dowland (John Holloway et. al.). ECM CD 2189.

John Holloway: violin, viola
Monika Baer: violin, viola
Renate Steinmann: violin
Susanna Hefti: viola
Martin Zeller: bass violin

John Dowland’s Lachrimae Pavans is considered one of the greatest works in the canon of English chamber music. Based upon his famous song “Flow My Teares”, the seven pavans – Seaven Teares, as Dowland called them – present an extraordinary exploration of the contrapuntal and harmonic possibilities offered by the theme. In this remarkable recording, baroque violinist John Holloway creates a concert programme around the lachrimae Pavans. Threaded between Dowland’s masterpieces are works of other major composers of his era – Henry Purcell, William Lawes, John Jenkins, Thomas Morley and Matthew Locke. In bringing together these works of strongly contrasting colour and character Holloway and company give us a vivid sense of the great flowering of consort music which took place in England in the 17th century.

• 01 Lachrimae Antiquae 4:19 
• 02 Fantasy upon one note 2:45 
• 03 Lachrimae Antiquae Novae 4:01 
• 04 2 Airs for 4 3:23 
• 05 Lachrimae Gementes 3:57 
• 06 Fantasy No. 12 for 2 Trebles and Bass 3:53 
• 07 Lachrimae Tristes 5:18 
• 08 Lamento for 2 2:34 
• 09 Lachrimae Coactae 4:00 
• 10 Fantasy for 2 Trebles and Bass 4:11 
• 11 Lachrimae Amantis 4:27 
• 12 Fantasy in C for 5 2:25 
• 13 Lachrimae Verae 4:10

III. John Dowland—Lute Songs  (Alfred Deller, countertenor/Robert Spencer, lute). Harmonia Mundi Gold CD HMG 50244/45.

 
This reissue in Harmonia Mundi's HM Gold series features Alfred Deller, whose legendary interpretations of the music of John Dowland have become milestones in the history of recorded music. The English countertenor distilled the very essence of the melancholy of the 17th century English song in general and of the composer of the Lachrimae in particular. This two disc set of songs featuring lutenist Robert Spencer and the Consort of Six was released for the first time in 1978.
 
 
Flow, my tears
5:12
 
Galliard
0:57
 
The Lady Laiton's Almain
1:03
 
Fortune my Foe
3:32
 
The Frog Galliard
1:46
 
Weep you no more, sad Fountains
3:43
 
Me, me, and none but me
3:42
 
What if I never speed?
2:09
 
Lasso, vita mia
4:33
 
Toy: The Shoesmaker's Wife
1:19
 
Galliard: Can she excuse
1:43
 
Mistress White's Thing
1:14
 
The Round Battle Galliard
1:31
 
Wilt thou, unkind, thus reave me of my heart?
1:37
 
Come away, come, sweet love
2:23
 
Sorrow, stay
4:06
 
If that sinner's sighs
3:27
 
Midnight
0:56
 
Say, Love, if ever you didst find?
2:22
 
Lachrimae Pavan
4:29
 
Galliard: Can she excuse
1:37
 
If my complaints could passions move
4:33
 
Katherine Darcy's Galliard
1:20
 
 
Come again, sweet love
2:18
 
I saw my lady weep
3:57
 
Orlando sleepeth
1:26
 
Tarlton's Resurrection
1:05
 
Sir John Smith's Almain
3:02
 
Mistress White's Nothing
1:10
 
My Lord Chamberlain's Galliard
2:32
 
From silent night
4:52
 
Flow not so fast, ye fountains
4:10
 
My Lord Willoughby's Welcome Home
2:42
 
Mistress Winter's Jump
0:51
 
Melancholy Galliard
3:16
 
My Lady Hundson's Puff
1:22
 
Shall I sue?
2:39
 
In darkness let me dwell
4:37
 
The First Galliard
1:55
 
Can she excuse my wrongs?
4:21
 
Come, heavy Sleep
5:00
 
Captain Digory Piper's Pavan and Galliard
6:37
 
Go, nightly cares

Composer Info

John Dowland, Henry Purcell, William Lawes, John Jenkins, Thomas Morley, Matthew Locke

CD Info

Atma CD ACD2 2650, ECM CD 2189, HMG 50244/45