John Dowland (1563-1626): “Lachrimae or Seaven Teares“ & 14 other Dances

00:00 Lachrimae Antiquae 03:48 Lachrimae Antiquae Novae 06:51 Lachrimae Gementes 10:39 Lachrimae Tristes 14:00 Lachrimae Coactae 16:39 Lachrimae Amantis 19:52 Lachrimae Verae 23:41 M. John Langton’s Pavan 27:23 Sir John Souch His Galliard 28:55 M. Nicholas Gryffith His Galliard 30:17 M. Giles Hoby’s Galliard 31:52 M. George Whitehead His Allemande 33:27 Sir Henry Umpton’s Funeral 37:14 M. Henry Noel His Galliard 38:33 Captaine Digorie Piper His Galliard 40:07 M. Buctons’ Galliard 41:42 Semper Dowland Semper Dolens 44:49 The King of Denmark’s Galliard 46:17 The Earl of Essex Galliard 47:54 M. Thomas Collier His Galliard 49:26 Mrs. Nichols’ Allemande Eugene Müller-Dombois, Lute Viola da gamba Quintet of the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis: August Wenzinger, Descant Viol; Hannelore Müller, Marianne Majer, Tenor Viol; Jan Crafoord, Johannes Koch, Bass Viol John Dowland was born in 1563. His parentage is unknown, but there is some evidence to show that the family was known in the counties of Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire both before and after the period of his lifetime. No documents have come to light to support the theory that he was born in Ireland. The first known fact of his life is that in 1580 he went to France in the train of Sir Henry Cobham, Ambassador to the French king. On his return, probably in 1584 or ’85, he became known among many of the families which constituted the court circle immediately surrounding Elizabeth I, and he spent some part of the time before 1595 in the service of Henry Noel. Both as a composer and as a virtuoso player on the lute Dowland’s fame spread not only in England but on the Continent as well; when he visited the Duke of Brunswick and the Landgrave of Hesse in 1595, his reputation had preceded him. At both courts he received a splendid welcome and was liberally rewarded for his playing. On leaving Hesse he made his way to Italy, and from Nuremberg, on his return journey, he wrote a long letter to Sir Robert Cecil, describing the activities of the exiled Catholics with whom he had associated in Florence. He spent a second period at the court of Hesse and then, in 1598, was appointed lutenist to Christian IV of Denmark. The record of his unsatisfactory behavior during the next eight years is preserved in the Royal Archives at Copenhagen, and finally, in 1606, he was dismissed. He returned to England and sometime before 1612 was appointed lutenist to Lord Howard de Walden, courtier and close friend of the young Prince Henry. On October 28, 1612, he became one of the “‘Lutes”’ at the court of James I. He remained in royal service until his death, which occurred early in 1626, his last recorded public appearance having been made at the funeral of King James in 1625. Dowland’s four books of ayres for the lute, published between 1597 and 1612, contain some of the most beautiful songs in the English language. They were immensely admired during his lifetime, and the First Book of Songs or Ayres was reprinted four, or possibly five, times. His solo works for the lute are found in almost all the important collections of lute music of the period, both English and Continental. He also wrote consort songs, settings of Psalms and other devotional verses, Lachrimae or Seaven Teares for five viols and lute, and a few other consort pieces. Lachrimae or Seaven Teares was entered in the Stationers Register in April 1604, during Dowland’s final and prolonged leave of absence from Denmark, and was the first publication for this particular combination of instruments. Of the 21 pieces, only 11 appear to have been written specially for this combination—the six ‘‘Lachrimae’’ pavans which follow ‘Lachrimae Antiquae’, Sir Henry Umpton’s Funeral, the galliards for Giles Hoby, Nicholas Gryffith and Thomas Collier, and M. George Whitehead His Allemande. Of the other ten pieces, most of which can be shown to have existed prior to 1604, some originally appeared as songs, others as lute solos, and some as both; several were given new titles for the occasion. Dowland himself describes the book as ‘‘my poore labour and study’’, but the music is of rare beauty, and the best of the pieces can hold their own beside chamber music of any period or country. Diana POULTON RCA Victrola (VICS-1338) 1968