Down with Dowland

Started by TheGSMoeller, May 20, 2014, 05:54:45 PM

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Karl Henning

Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on August 18, 2017, 07:57:49 AM
:)

I'm also hoping the controversial thread title will bring in more lookers. Perhaps even asking why there's a thread dedicated to taking down the King of Lute!

Karl Henning

Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Rosalba

Quote from: Mandryka on August 15, 2017, 09:56:46 PM


Very much enjoying the interpretation of Trembling Shadow by Michael Morrow. They use three voices I think, and some viol type accompaniment, they sing with a more or less white tone, but it is naturally expressive music. Emma Kirkby's voice is my cup of tea too, and she takes it with just a lute, but I don't know if I don't prefer Musica Reservata's madrigal treatment.


.

I bought this cd recently, and I love it. You have good taste! :)

Ken B


North Star

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

My photographs on Flickr

calyptorhynchus

Quote from: Mandryka on August 18, 2017, 03:37:04 AM
It's good to hear Dowland sung without English middle class vowels and sung straight, with just a lute, with no romantic vibrato, with expression by means of phrasing, dynamics and colour. You can find other recordings which do one or the other, it's harder to find ones which do both.

Her voice is characterful, with quite a bit of ping I'd say, it has rapidly grown on me, it feels like I'm being showered with rubies.

The English vowel thing is probably just my psychological baggage, it always makes me think of Aunt Edith's drawing room and its antemacassers and aspidestra. Or worse, the SCR.

Actually with sung English its not the RP vowels that bother me (I probably have an RP if it has survived 25 years of submersion in the Australian nasal vowel environment) but the glottal stops that are now invading UK English. I have a CD of Finzi's Dies Natalis with an RP soprano who nevertheless sings lines like "For un'o you is born this day in the ci'y of David" &c  :)
'Many men are melancholy by hearing music, but it is a pleasing melancholy that it causeth.' Robert Burton

Mandryka

#27
Quote from: calyptorhynchus on August 18, 2017, 02:10:56 PM
Actually with sung English its not the RP vowels that bother me (I probably have an RP if it has survived 25 years of submersion in the Australian nasal vowel environment) but the glottal stops that are now invading UK English. I have a CD of Finzi's Dies Natalis with an RP soprano who nevertheless sings lines like "For un'o you is born this day in the ci'y of David" &c  :)

Good job Finzi didn't set the words "The water in Majorca don't taste like what it ought to."
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen


TheGSMoeller

My most recent Lachrimae purchase, and 8th complete recording of the 7 pavans, is this one from Jordi Savall and HESPERION XX. I believe this is the reissue, and remastered version, of their 1987 recording of the same work. I was able to sample it online and it's divine. I will add this along side the Rose Consort, the Dowland Consort, and the Parley of Instruments as the best performances of Lachrimae I've heard.


[asin]B00FJAKW18[/asin]

Mandryka

#30
Quote from: α | ì Æ ñ on August 21, 2017, 11:28:00 AM
Lachrimae is powerful  :-*

The big tune is from a song that Dowland wrote called Flow My Tears. It was a major major hit in the 17th century, loads of composers wrote their own versions of it. My favourite probably is by Sweelinck, called Lachrimae  Pavan.

It's worth finding Dowland's preface to it, where he talks about the feelings he wanted in each of the pavans. It really shouldn't sound all the same.

For some reason, I'm not saying it's "the best" or anything, the one I listen to most is by John Holloway. It's got the Dowland mixed up with other viol pieces from the same time, and that suits me, Premont is exactly the opposite of me in this respect, he thinks that it's cyclic and it pays to listen to it as a cycle.

Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

#31
Oh, another thing you may want to check out sometime is The Dowland Project

http://www.john-potter.co.uk/dowland.php

There are similar things going on with Machaut - I mean projects inspired by the music from living composers.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen


North Star

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

My photographs on Flickr

bwv 1080


Jo498

I am still with the fraction that believes the first syllable should not rhyme with "down" but with "low" but the modern pronunciation seems to favor the former option.
And he did also write more light-hearted songs, e.g. "Fine knacks for ladies", "Come again" etc.
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: α | ì Æ ñ on August 28, 2017, 12:49:57 AM
Flow My Tears crushes me every. single. time.  :'( :'(


That song only touches the surface of Dowland-land but hell does it resonate strongly with me  :(

This is one arrangement I've always loved since it was released a few years ago. Countertenor Dominique Visse, with Fretwork, bass vocalist Renaud Delaigue, and Éric Bellocq on lute. The bass vocal addition is such a great element.

https://www.youtube.com/v/RBhOjj5fQ9s

[asin]B009G3ZUGQ[/asin]


calyptorhynchus



Just been listening to this. It is a disk of music from English lute MSS that the lutenist reckons are in fact more unattributed Dowland.

I don't agree, the pieces don't sound very Dowland to me, except for a few little features here and there. I'd say they are probably 'School of Dowland'. But they are very pleasant none the less and, let's face it, you can never have too much lute music.

;D
'Many men are melancholy by hearing music, but it is a pleasing melancholy that it causeth.' Robert Burton

calyptorhynchus



A very nice recording that has just come out, and a welcome addition to the small list of recordings of the Books of Songs complete in one recording and as solo songs. Let's hope for a Third Book of Songs in this format soon.
'Many men are melancholy by hearing music, but it is a pleasing melancholy that it causeth.' Robert Burton

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: calyptorhynchus on November 14, 2018, 11:18:01 AM


A very nice recording that has just come out, and a welcome addition to the small list of recordings of the Books of Songs complete in one recording and as solo songs. Let's hope for a Third Book of Songs in this format soon.

That is a nice one, calyptorhynchus. Been streaming it on Apple Music recently.


I posted this on Listening Now thread, but should've shared here. Les inAttendus is Marianne Muller on bass-viol, and Vincent Lhermet on accordion, and their new album includes works from Hume, East, Gibbons, Tidrow, Bull, Hersant, and of course Dowland. I don't have a Dowland clip to share, but here they are performing Tobias Hume What Greater Grief , and Gaillard from Orlando Gibbons.

https://www.youtube.com/v/8lhDdiv0j-w&start_radio=1&list=RD8lhDdiv0j-w&t=126