# John Dowland



## Aramis

No thread about this famous dude yet? I though he is one of most popular renaissance dudes. Anyway:










*John Dowland (1563 - buried 20 February 1626) was an English composer, singer, and lutenist. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep" (the basis for Benjamin Britten's Nocturnal), "Come again", "Flow my tears", "I saw my Lady weepe" and "In darkness let me dwell", but his instrumental music has undergone a major revival, and has been a source of repertoire for classical guitarists during the twentieth century.*​
I just got Jakob Lindberg set of his complete solo lute music (again). I plan to spend much more time listening to it than before. First throws of ear tell me that I won't regret it.


----------



## Bix

That's weird - I've just started listening to the Complete set of his Lute music that I bought this month - tis brill.


----------



## HarpsichordConcerto

I have the complete set of John Dowland lute music played by Nigel North. 4 CD set on the Naxos label. Nigel played on a period instrumment/modern copy (like they all do with music of this period). First class performance, and being Naxos it's as cheap as chips; they're practically giving them away. (I think I bought it when one of my favourite internet shops went on sale with this label).


----------



## Bix

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> I have the complete set of John Dowland lute music played by Nigel North. 4 CD set on the Naxos label. Nigel played on a period instrumment/modern copy (like they all do with music of this period). First class performance, and being Naxos it's as cheap as chips; they're practically giving them away.


This is the set I bought - I'm really impressed with Nigel North


----------



## Conor71

I've just got the one recording of Dowland works (his "Lachrimae/Seven Teares") but I like it a lot - I may put it on later as it's been a while!







.


----------



## Enjoying Life

I also enjoy John Dowland. His music is relaxing and yet full of life at the same time.


----------



## Weston

"Can she excuse my wrongs?" a.k.a. The Earl of Essex Galliard is probably my favorite Dowland song. I love the way it is rhythmically as well as tonally complex and ambiguous, as is most of Dowland's music.


----------



## StlukesguildOhio

Thanks for the heads up on the Nigel North performances. I am steadily increasing my collection (and my grasp) of pre-Baroque and Baroque music and am looking toward more works by Dowland. I have this intriguing disc:










The performers include core figures from the Hilliard Ensemble combined with double bass, clarinet, and saxophone. Clearly not a HIP performance... but quite lovely all the same.

I also have Dowland performed in a more traditional manner:










I just ordered a couple discs of Sylvius Weiss' lute music... as well as Bach's lute suites. If I'm not too "luted" out I will definitely be looking toward Dowland's lute works in the near future.


----------



## Noak

Really beautiful stuff. The record In Darkness Let Me Dwell is brilliant.


----------



## Charon

"Weep you no more sad fountains" is a lovely piece of music.


----------



## hocket

I've got Paul O'Dette's recordings of his complete solo lute music which is glorious. I've also got Fretwork's version of the broken consort music, the Lachrimae, which is a typically excllent record. For songs I've only got collection that StlukesguildOhio showed earlier. That's a comp of various different people performing his stuff and I'd be interested to hear any recommndations for more a more 'in depth' set of his songs.


----------



## clavichorder

I now play a Lachramae Pavane by him on the virginal!


----------



## Ukko

hocket said:


> I've got Paul O'Dette's recordings of his complete solo lute music which is glorious. I've also got Fretwork's version of the broken consort music, the Lachrimae, which is a typically excllent record. For songs I've only got collection that StlukesguildOhio showed earlier. That's a comp of various different people performing his stuff and I'd be interested to hear any recommndations for more a more 'in depth' set of his songs.


O'Dette's set is indeed glorious. I do however suggest that it be listened to a half hour or so at a time. Dowland did not throw many change-ups.

The Fretwork recording is also excellent, and the instrumentation does provide varying 'sound pictures'.


----------



## GoneBaroque

One of my favorite recordings. The great Danish Tenor Aksel Schiotz sings Flow My Tears accompanied by guitarist Jytte Gorki Schmidt on a 1941 recording.


----------



## hocket

As this thread's been revived and in response to my earlier question (a year ago), I now have the Consort of Musicke's versions of Dowland's songs which I'd certainly recommend.


----------



## Winterreisender

I thought I'd revive this thread to enthuse about my new favourite renaissance composer. I have just purchased the complete works of Dowland and am mightily impressed by his lute music (played by Anthony Rooley et al.) and the Bookes of Songes (sung by Emma Kirkby et al.).

View attachment 23695


The dude is like the Elizabethan Nick Drake: haunting, melancholic songs with some mean guitar licks. And some of his songs are remarkably catchy. I've been humming this one all day:






And what a beautiful piece for lute this is:






The sticker on the front of my box set contains a quote from Sting: "He was really the first singer/songwriter we know of, so a lot of us owe our living to this man." But don't let that put you off. I'm sure that inspiring Sting wasn't Dowland's intention at the time.

So thank you John Dowland for writing such wonderful music. 

And thank you to Anthony Rooley and the Consort of Musicke for performing it so beautifully. I look forward to when (or if) this group finally completes their Monteverdi Madrigals.


----------

