Dowland: Lute Songs

On this CD:

1. Come away come sweet love
Composed by John Dowland
Performed by Joseph Iadone, Russell Oberlin

2. Thou mighty God (Nos. 14-16 from A Pilgrimes Solace, 1612)
Composed by John Dowland
Performed by Joseph Iadone, Russell Oberlin

3. Can she excuse my wrongs?, galliard for voice and lute
Composed by John Dowland
Performed by Joseph Iadone, Russell Oberlin

4. Semper Dowland Semper Dolens for lute, P9
Composed by John Dowland
Performed by Joseph Iadone

5. Flow not so fast, ye fountains (from Third Book of Songs)
Composed by John Dowland
Performed by Joseph Iadone, Russell Oberlin

6. I saw my lady weepe (No. 1 from The Second Booke of Songes or Ayres, 1600)
Composed by John Dowland
Performed by Joseph Iadone, Russell Oberlin

7. Weep you No more sad fountains
Composed by John Dowland
Performed by Joseph Iadone, Russell Oberlin

8. Shall I sue (No. 19 from The Second Booke of Songes or Ayres, 1600)
Composed by John Dowland
Performed by Joseph Iadone, Russell Oberlin

9. Flow, my tears
Composed by John Dowland
Performed by Joseph Iadone, Russell Oberlin

10. Lachrimae Antiquae Pavan, for lute
Composed by John Dowland
Performed by Joseph Iadone

11. Farre from Triumphing Court for voice & lute
Composed by John Dowland
Performed by Joseph Iadone, Russell Oberlin

12. Lady if you so spite me
Composed by John Dowland
Performed by Joseph Iadone, Russell Oberlin

13. In darkness let mee dwell (No. 10 from A Musicali Banquet, 1610)
Composed by John Dowland
Performed by Joseph Iadone

Tracks:

Walsingham
Can she excuse my wrongs?
Ryght honorable: as I have bin most bounde unto your honor Â…
Flow my tears
Have you seen the bright lily grow
Then in time passing on Mr. Johnson diedÂ…
The Most High and Mighty Christianus the Fourth, King of Denmark
The lowest trees have tops
And accordinge as I desired ther cam a letterÂ…
Fine knacks for ladies
From thenc I went to the Landgrave of HessenÂ…
Fantasy
Come, heavy sleep
Forlorn Hope Fancy
And from thence I had great desire to see ItalyÂ…
Come again
Wilt thou unkind thus reave me
After my departure I caled to mynde our conferenceÂ…
Weep you no more, sad fountains
My Lord WilloughbyÂ’s Welcome Home
Clear or cloudy
Men say that the Kinge of Spain is making gret preparationÂ…
In darkness let me dwell

Amazon.com

In choosing to cover the music of John Dowland (1563-1626), who is known as the "melancholy madrigalist" from his output of cheerful ditties like "Flow My Tears," Police bandleader Sting has entered into a whole new realm of austere eeriness. Originally inspired by the gift of a lute, the rock superstar and activist sings the songs, deliciously sweet and tender or spirited by turn, accompanying himself, with Edin Karamazov sitting on lute and archlute. For listeners accustomed to hearing material of this period interpreted by rigorously trained early music stylists, especially countertenors and the like, Sting's sometimes tight-jawed, chest-heavy vocals may seem amateurish. It's undeniable that in four-part harmonies, the singer, tightly overdubbed, comes across like a combination of the Swingle Singers and Queen (meaning Freddy Mercury and crew, NOT the first Elizabeth). But it's important to remember that music of this period was routinely heard as a casual diversion in private homes, even more often than at Court. It was considered a crucial social skill to be able to join in with an adequate degree of skill, but not everyone was able to negotiate the perilous melodic twists and turns typical of the era's music. With this in mind, the overall effect is of a candle-lit, postprandial entertainment in the home of an English gentleman. Muttered readings from Dowland's letters and brief snippets of sampled birdsong aside, it is a courageous effort, displaying heartfelt admiration for the composer and a considerable degree of earnest charm. --Christina Roden

Album Description

StingÂ's Songs From The Labyrinth is an album of 17th century music composed by John Dowland and performed on the lute, an ancient acoustic guitar. After being given a lute nearly two years ago as a gift, Sting became fascinated and immersed himself with the instrument and the history of lute music. Reminded of his almost 25 year long enthrallment with the works of John Dowland, the Elizabethan composer who wrote songs for the lute, Sting has recorded a new album of vocal and lute music. All songs were composed by Dowland in the 17th century, but have been given new life in these fresh new recordings by Sting. Sting not only sings all the songs (accompanied by leading lutenist Edin Karamasov, who appears on two Andreas Scholl albums), but also plays lute on two instrumental duets with Edin and reads short extracts from a fascinating autobiographical letter by Dowland. Sting has also written a brilliant account of the album's genesis, along with notes on the individual tracks, which serves as the CD booklet.

Customer Reviews:

great CD.......2007-07-23

As usual, this is a great STING's cd. Wonderful music and interpretation. Its amazin these songs were written on the 16 century.
I will completely recomend anyone this CD.

Very disappointing.......2007-07-19

As we all know, the music of John Dowland is lovely. When played by Paul Odette or Julian Bream it is exquisite. However, this production is almost depressing. Sting's gravelly voice finally grated on me and I probably won't play this again. The lute performance is mediocre also. The best song is that which they use to promote the album. Pass on this one.

*sigh*.......2007-07-16

I am a lutenist myself, who had experience as both a rock guitarist and a classically trained clarinetist before also picking up the lute. I have a great love for Dowland that comes from years of playing his songs myself as well as hearing great musicians (like Paul O'Dette) play them. And this CD makes me sad.

In a way, it doesn't surprise me that Sting would do this. For years now he's been trying to gain cred in the classical music world (I have a 1988 recording of him doing Stravinsky's A Soldier Tale that delighted me when I was 16 and musically ignorant, but now makes my eyes roll into the back of my head). What upsets me is he had to do something that's initimately important to me as a musician. The is problem is that when it comes this kind of music, as others have said, he IS an amatuer, and all his heavy-handed, juvenile earnesty and clumsy, misplaced intensity just drains out all the joy I would normally experience from these songs. Moreover, he's voice isn't merely "untrained" - it's *shot* from years of strain caused by bad "rock" vocal technique. It's just pitiful to listen to in such an exposed context. If you think this is how these songs ought to be intrepreted, you're sadly mistaken.

There are people who would call Sting a "pop genius, " laud him and hand him all sort of impressive looking awards and honors, but this is the music of a real genius, someone who knew not just how to write lyrics that hit home with his audience, but as how to compose songs with unparallel grace, form and sophistication in an idiosyncratic style that bridged convention and innovation. And Sting simply cannot do Dowland's music justice. He just doesn't have the chops or the insight. It's great he's supposedly "studied" this music and that he wrote lengthy, flowery liner notes, but did he really need to record this CD for any reason that his own self-satisfaction? It's far too obvious he hasn't done the same level of groundwork of countless Early Music musicians who don't do this a hobby or avocation from political causes or high-profile celebrity, but as their sole passion. Why couldn't he simply support those musicians, without trying to grab some spotlight for himself? Having a decent lutenist as a sidekick just isn't enough to pull him up from his amatuerly, self-important bog, either. Frankly, he just doesn't get it, and at this stage, I don't think he will.

Early music lovers don't need someone like Sting to bring this music to us - we've been doing just fine without him because we have so many other, really wonderful musicians around to keep this music alive. Someone else recommended Nigel Rogers and Paul O'Dette, and I would gladly recommend them over this celebrity-fuel nonsense as well. Yes these are both musicians with academic backgrounda, but that doesn't mean they are academic musicians - far from it. They just have to hold down teaching positions and do master classes because they don't have a pop career to play the bills. Musicially and professionally, they're what Early Music musicians ought to be - dedicated, educated, passionate and yet they don't have any need to take themselves this deathly seriously.

Elizabethan Music.......2007-07-12

This is the audio component of an hour long video made by Sting on the work of Elizabethan composer John Dowland. (The video does adds greatly to the value as it places the music against the background and age (16th C) for which it was written.) Sting's voice is light tenor and right for these poems set to music about everlasting human concerns that persist to our day. But you'll not see those wonderful lutes that accompany the words, so complex to play with a beauty of sound not heard today. Between his music Sting gives an excellent spoken commentary to complete an attractive presentation of esoteric classical music with a modern undertone.

Vibe shift.......2007-07-10

Why bother? Still would like to say i love the 'shift' it takes to get into this music and how i (and my home) feel when i've enter this rather rarified realm of listening.

All At Once Well Met: English Madrigals; The King's Singers

Average customer rating:

Very pleased
Sumptuous and mellow
One of the Best Collections of English Madrigals
A Delightful Collection of English Madrigal
A wide variety

All At Once Well Met: English Madrigals; The King's Singers
John Dowland , Thomas Morley , Thomas Weelkes , John Wilbye , William Byrd , John Farmer , and The King's Singers
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002RPZ
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

English Madrigals: A Little Pretty Bonny Lass
English Madrigals: Weep No More, Thou Sorry Boy
English Madrigals: Shoot False Love
English Madrigals: Now Is The Month Of Maying
English Madrigals: Four Arms, Two Necks, One Wreathing
English Madrigals: Hark, All Ye Lovely Saints Above
English Madrigals: Since Robin Hood
English Madrigals: Though Philomela Lost Her Love
English Madrigals: O Wretched Man
English Madrigals: Weep, O Mine Eyes
English Madrigals: The Nightingale, The Organ Of Delight
English Madrigals: Come, Sirrah Jack, Ho!
English Madrigals: Cruel, Behold My Heavy Ending
English Madrigals: Fair Phyllis I Saw Sitting All Alone
English Madrigals: Sing We And Chant It
English Madrigals: On A Fair Morning
English Madrigals: Oft Have I Vowed
English Madrigals: Is Love A Boy?
English Madrigals: Say, Love, If Ever Thou Didst Find
English Madrigals: All At Once Well Met
English Madrigals: Construe My Meaning
English Madrigals: Lord! When I Think
English Madrigals: Cruel, Wilt Thou Persever
English Madrigals: Fine Knacks For Ladies
English Madrigals: Strike It Up, Tabor
English Madrigals: I Love, Alas I Love Thee
English Madrigals: Farwell, Dear Love
English Madrigals: See, See The Shepherd's Queen
English Madrigals: Have I Found Her
English Madrigals: Lady Your Words Do Spite Me
English Madrigals: Were I A King
English Madrigals: Come Again
English Madrigals: Tan Ta Ra, Cries Mars
English Madrigals: Why Should I Love?
English Madrigals: This Sweet And Merry Month Of May

Customer Reviews:

Very pleased.......2007-06-10

I wasn't sure what to expect when I bought this CD. True, I could have listened on line before buying but that would have taken the fun out of the purchase. Besides, I really didn't care for the CD the first couple of times I listened but now I really love it. It's not something to listen to all the time but given the right circumstances e.g. a small gathering of friends, it's perfect. If I'd listened to online, I wouldn't have purchased it.

Sumptuous and mellow.......2002-11-28

The six men of the King's Singers present sweet and light-hearted madrigals of such English composers as Morley, Weelkes, Dowland, Wilbye and Byrd. The thirty five selections include "Now is the Month of Maying", "Though Philomela Lost Her Love", "Sing We and Chant It," the celebration of tobacco entitled "Come, Sirrah Jack, Ho!" and a host of other fa-la-la-la-la venues interspersed with wistful laments. I love the rich, sonorous sound of a male vocal ensemble, with countertenors, tenor, baritones and bass, and these six singers do a great job. Occasional instrumental accompaniments by lute and tabor are included, but this group doesn't really need it--I could listen to them for hours all by themselves. Also quite enjoyable, as well as educational, is their earlier release, "The King's Singers' Madrigal History Tour: Italy, England, France, Spain and Germany". For a more risque' take on the vocal music of Renaissance England, you might get a kick out of "The Art of the Bawdy Song" by the Baltimore Consort with the Merry Companions.

One of the Best Collections of English Madrigals.......2002-03-27

Any fan of the King's Singers will regret not having this album in their collection.

This album offers a veritable feast of the choicest English madrigals found on any comparable album. From the obligatory "Now is the Month of Maying" and "Fair Phyllis" to the more obscure "Tan ta ra, cries Mars," there is certainly enough on this album to bring a smile to lovers of Renaissance music - and a spark of recognition to anyone who sang traditional madrigals in high school or university. For serious students of early music, this album comes very highly recommended.

Among the more sonorous offerings on this album, Jones' "Farewell, Dear Love" and Dowland's "Come Again," cannot be ignored. Nor can Bennet's immortal "Weep O mine eyes" be matched more musically than here by the King's Singers.

This album has been played again and again for almost 6 years as both serious listening and background working music. And it has yet to lose its delight.

A Delightful Collection of English Madrigal.......2000-08-16

With 35 tracts to enjoy you're sure to find a couple of favorites. I gave this CD 4 of 5 stars compared to 5 stars for the King's Singers World Madrigal Tour CD. If you prefer all your songs in English, this will be your 5 star CD. Tract 32 "Come again" is my favorite due to the surperb tenor lead and melodic development. Compared to many polyphonic early music styles (1300s-1485), this era (1500-1610) provides many memorable melodies.

A wide variety.......2000-04-28

This is an excellent sampling of English madrigals. This presentation, given by an older roster of the Singers, is a nice introduction to the world of the madrigal, and English madrigals in particular.

Average customer rating:

Like a rainy day in a good bookstore
Not "Ultimate", but Wonderful!
Everyone would love this album!
Incredible
One well worth the price of two

Ultimate Guitar Collection

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Julian Bream: The Ultimate Guitar Collection-Volume 2
Essential Guitar: 33 Guitar Masterpieces
300 Years of Guitar Masterpieces
Baroque Guitar
Spanish Guitar Music

ASIN: B00000I9M1
Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

Allegro Giusto
Largo
Allegro
Packington's Pound
Greensleeves
Fantasia 'A Fancy'
Canarios
Sonata In D
Leyenda (Asturias)
The Three Cornered Hat: The Millar's Dance
Recuerdos De La Alhambra
Choros No.1
Andantino Espressivo
Poco Animato
En Los Trigales
Allegro Con Spirito
Adagio
Allegro Con Brio

Tracks:

Mallorca, Op. 202 - Albeniz
Cataluna
Granada
Sevilla
Cadiz
Cordoba
Dedicatoria
La Maja De Goya
Danza Espanola No. 4
Valses Poeticos - Granados
Danza Espanola No. 5 - Granados
Fandango
Passacaglia
Zapateado

Customer Reviews:

Like a rainy day in a good bookstore.......2007-07-10

"Always pleasant, never a false cord." That's what I think each time I listen to this collection. I guess I should be listening more closely, but I find the music and the virtuosity with which it is played to be a springboard to other thoughts and activities. I can read with it in the background, write with it or simply drift into thought. And that is really quite enough for me.

Not "Ultimate", but Wonderful!.......2007-03-29

As good a guitarist as Julian Bream is, one must begin by acknowledging that the title of this 2-CD set containing 32 admittedly seminal pieces written for hand-played strings ( primarily, the lute) is a tad hyperbolistic. An "Ultimate" collection of anything would have to be more complete, by definition, than any two CDs can be and, again, it almost goes without saying that no two people are apt to be in total agreement about what should or should not have been included in any such collection. All caveats considered and aside, this is, indeed, a thoughtfully selected and masterfully performed collection of what is, unarguably, some of the very best classical pieces ever written for the lute. Bream plays some of them on the guitar and others on a renaissance lute - the latter giving a somewhat truer indication of the stylings and musical nuances intended by the various composers. But, even the pieces he plays on the guitar - an instrument that, in it's current form, did not exist when many of the pieces were originally composed - are sensitive and lyrical interpretations that sound as if they MIGHT have been composed for the guitar.

Without spending space here reiterating the specific pieces, their titles and lengths, I will simply list the composers whose works Bream presents so nicely in this collection. They span a range of about five centuries beginning in the time of England's Elizabeth I and spanning the years through to the 20th Century's premier Spanish and Brazilian classical guitar composers. The list reads like a `Whose Who" of classical plucked-string instrument music and of composers whose keyboard compositions work particularly well on the strings of a lute or guitar, and includes;
- John Dowland
- Francis Cutting
- Antonio Vivaldi
- Gaspar Sanz (*)
- Mateo Albeniz (*)
- Manuel de Falla
- Enrique Granados (*)
- Hector Villa-Lobos, and
- Joaquin Rodrigo
(*) = Pieces originally written for keyboard play.

Every classical guitarist has his own recognizable style and approach to the instrument and the material. An experience listener would not confuse Bream's work with that of Andres Segovia, for example: but it is not that one is better than the other. Each, in his own distinctive way, is simply superb. Though the Spanish influence is clearly audible with both musicians, Bream's stylings have a more contemporary lilt and inflection than do those of Segovia; he makes each piece his own. One suspects that each time he plays a piece it comes out differently according to the moment, his mood, the instrument and God knows what else. Segovia, on the other hand, was well known for his constancy once he had found a version of each piece that fully suited his own ear and temperament.
While I am admittedly a Segovia fan, I find Bream's renditions to be noticeably fresher and each infused with an aura of presence in the here-and-now which I find especially enjoyable.

The collection is neither complete not `ultimate', but it is VERY good and well worth having in any collection of classical guitar music. In fact, for audiophiles not familiar with this genre, it is a fair place to begin to develop an ear for and a listener's knowledge of and experience with the classical guitar.

I recommend it highly.

Everyone would love this album!.......2007-01-16

This album is fantastic. Easy to listen to and wonderful background music for working or dinner parties

Incredible.......2005-10-24

This is the leading guitar player of his generation at his best.

He is especially amazing in the second CD, with some of the solo guitar transcriptions of Albeniz. His rendition of Rodrigo's three pieces is also sublime.

I can't imagine anybody buying this cd then regretting it.

One well worth the price of two.......2004-09-25

This two cd set is an odd juxtaposition. The first cd consists of a sampler of Bream's career output - but without (and I believe the omission is disgraceful) any acknowledgement of Bream's significant contribution toward the creation of a truly 20th century concert repertoire for guitar. The second cd is a re-release of his superb early 1980's recording of Albeniz and Granados transcriptions with the added bonus of a sublime interpretation of the "Three Spanish Pieces" by J Rodrigo.

Speaking as a musician I find the selections and the production of the first cd problematic. We get a few of the more lightweight examples of renaissance lute and baroque guitar (but no JS Bach and no (solo) baroque lute work); we get no vihuela repertoire and nothing truly representative of classical period composition. We do have all six movements from two contrasting concertos but the remainder of the cd consists mostly of neo-romantic repertoire from the twentieth century. Worse still, the recording quality is highly variable; for example one of the Villa Lobos pieces sounds as though it was recorded in an indoor swimming complex. Given the cd's title more care should have been taken to better represent Bream's career and musical diversity. In the opinion of one familiar with Bream's output this is a disappointing selection. Well played but not representative of the artist nor the art form.

However the opposite is the case with the second cd. These recordings were made at a time when Bream set out to commit to (then) vinyl, via the guitar, the musical heritage of Spain. Bream here was at the height of his interpretive power - and a fine film documentary also resulted from this endeavour.

The inclusion of the Rodrigo set makes this cd a better buy than the original Albeniz and Granados recording, although those who find this compilation rewarding might perhaps profit from researching Bream's catalogue, and adding the complete recording from which the Rodrigo is sourced (circa 1980-90) to their collection.

As for the Albeniz and Granados Bream offers his own transcriptions. These tread a fine line between fidelity to the piano scores and Bream's concept of what works on the guitar. As a general observation Bream seeks to include significantly more of the original score's textures than do many of his peers (e.g. J Williams, P Romero). At the same time he is not averse to significantly modifying the original (e.g. amongst others 'Granada' and 'Cordoba'). Such a process is part of any transcription but here the results are not only excellent but also personal to Bream, as a result we have further confirmation of the craft of a great performing artist.

Every listener will discover their own favourites and I have more than space allows me to relate. I believe that Bream brings more expression to his performances of the Valses Poeticos by Granados than any other guitarist I have heard, and the Passacaglia by Rodrigo is played with such a sense of a brooding menace that my spine tingles every time I listen to it.

The second cd alone is worth twice the compilation's asking price.

Dowland - The Collected Works / The Consort of Musicke, Rooley

Average customer rating:

A musical treasure-box
a beautiful journey into melancholy

Dowland - The Collected Works / The Consort of Musicke, Rooley
John Dowland , Anthony Rooley , Emma Kirkby , Christopher Wilson , The Consort of Musicke , Colin Tilney , Anthony Bailes , Jakob Lindberg , Nigel North , Glenda Simpson , Peter Holman , and John Donne
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000004CYV
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Tracks:

First Booke Of Songes: I. Unquiet Thoughts
First Booke Of Songes: II. Who Ever Thinks Or Hopes Of Love
First Booke Of Songes: III. My Thoughts Are Wing'd With Hopes
First Booke Of Songes: IV. If My Complaints Could Passions Move
First Booke Of Songes: V. Can She Excuse My Wrongs
First Booke Of Songes: VI. Now, O Now, I Needs Must Part
First Booke Of Songes: VII. Dear, If You Change
First Booke Of Songes: VIII. Burst Fourth My Tears
First Booke Of Songes: IX. Go Crystal Tears
First Booke Of Songes: X. Think'st Thou Then By Thy Feigning
First Booke Of Songes: XI. Come Away, Come Sweet Love
First Booke Of Songes: XII. Rest Awhile, You Cruel Cares
First Booke Of Songes: XIII. Sleep, Wayward Thoughts
First Booke Of Songes: XIV. All Ye, Whom Love Or Fortune Hath Betray'd
First Booke Of Songes: XV. Wilt Thou Unkind Thus Reave Me
First Booke Of Songes: XVI. Would My Conceit
First Booke Of Songes: XVII. Come Again: Sweet Love Doth Now Invite
First Booke Of Songes: XVIII. His Golden Locks
First Booke Of Songes: XIX. Awake, Sweet Love
First Booke Of Songes: XX. Come, Heavy Sleep
First Booke Of Songes: XXI. Away With These Self-Loving Lads

Tracks:

Second Booke Of Songs: I. I Saw My Lady Weep
Second Booke Of Songs: II. Flow My Tears
Second Booke Of Songs: III. Sorrow, Stay
Second Booke Of Songs: IV. Die Not Before Thy Day
Second Booke Of Songs: V. Mourn, Mourn, Day Is With Darkness Fled
Second Booke Of Songs: VI. Time's Eldest Son
Second Booke Of Songs: VII. Then Sit Thee Down
Second Booke Of Songs: VIII. When Others Sing Venite
Second Booke Of Songs: IX. Praise Blindness Eyes
Second Booke Of Songs: X. O Sweet Woods
Second Booke Of Songs: XI. If Floods Of Tears
Second Booke Of Songs: XII. Fine Knacks For Ladies
Second Booke Of Songs: XIII. Now Cease My Wand'ring Eyes
Second Booke Of Songs: XIV. Come Ye Heavy States Of Night
Second Booke Of Songs: XV. White As Lilies Was Her Face
Second Booke Of Songs: XVI. Woeful Heart
Second Booke Of Songs: XVII. A Shepherd In A Shade
Second Booke Of Songs: XVIII. Faction That Ever Dwells
Second Booke Of Songs: XIX. Shall I Sue
Second Booke Of Songs: XX. Toss Not My Soul
Second Booke Of Songs: XXI. Clear Or Cloudy
Second Booke Of Songs: XXII. Humour Say What Mak'st Thou Here

Tracks:

Third Booke Of Songs 1603: I. Farewell, Too Fair
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: II. Time Stands Still
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: III. Behold A Wonder Here
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: IV. Daphne Was Not So Chaste
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: V. Me, Me, And None But Me
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: VI. When Phoebus First Did Daphne Love
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: VII. Say, Love, If Ever Thou Didst Find
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: VIII. Flow Not So Fast, Ye Fountains
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: IX. What If I Never Speed?
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: X. Love Stood Amazed
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XI. Lend Your Ears To My Sorrow
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XII. By A Fountain Where I Lay
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XIII. O What Hath Overwrought
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XIV. Farewell, Unkind
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XV. Weep You No More, Sad Fountains
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XVI. Fie On This Feigning!
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XVII. I Must Complain
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XVIII. It Was A Time When Silly Bees
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XIX. The Lowest Trees Have Tops
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XX. What Poor Astronomers Are They
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XXI. Come When I Call

Tracks:

A Pilgrimes Solace: I. Disdain Me Still
A Pilgrimes Solace: II. Sweet Stay Awhile
A Pilgrimes Solace: III. To Ask For All Thy Love
A Pilgrimes Solace: IV. Love, Those Beams That Breed
A Pilgrimes Solace: V. Shall I Strive Wih Words To Move?
A Pilgrimes Solace: VI. Were Every Thought An Eye
A Pilgrimes Solace: VII. Stay, Time, Awhile Thy Flying
A Pilgrimes Solace: VIII. Tell Me, True Love
A Pilgrimes Solace: IX. Go Nightly Cares
A Pilgrimes Solace: X. From Silent Night
A Pilgrimes Solace: XI. Lasso vita mia
A Pilgrimes Solace: XII. In This Trembling Shadow Cast
A Pilgrimes Solace: XIII. If That A Sinner's Sights
A Pilgrimes Solace: XIV. Thou Mighty God
A Pilgrimes Solace: XV. When David's Life
A Pilgrimes Solace: XVI. When The Poor Cripple

Tracks:

A Pilgrimes Solace: XVII. Where Sin Sore Wounding
A Pilgrimes Solace: XVIII. My Heart And Tongue Were Twins
A Pilgrimes Solace: XIX. Up Merry Mates
A Pilgrimes Solace: XX. Welcome Black Night
A Pilgrimes Solace: XXI. Cease, Cease These False Sports
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Lachrimae Pavane
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Can Shee
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Paduana
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: The Frogge
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Frog's Galliard
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Pavana And Galiarda
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Paduana Lachrymae
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Can She Excuse
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Pavion Solus cum sola
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Dowland's Almayne
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Piper's Paven And Galliard
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Pavan Lachrymae

Tracks:

Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: I. The Lamentation Of A Sinner
Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: II. Domine ne in furore
Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: III. Miserere mei Deus
Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: IV. The Humble Suit Of A Sinner
Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: V. The Humble Complaint Of A Sinner
Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: VI. De profundis
Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: VII. Domine exaudi
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Antiquae
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Antiquae Novae
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Gementes
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Tristes
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Coactae
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Amantis
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Verae
Lachrimae: Mr. John Langton's Pavan
Lachrimae: Mr. Nicholas Gryffith His Galiard
Lachrimae: Sir John Souch His Galiard
Lachrimae: Semper Dowland Semper Dolens
Lachrimae: Mr. Giles Hobies Galiard
Lachrimae: The King Of Denmark's Galiard
Lachrimae: Sir Henry Umpton's Funerall
Lachrimae: Mr. Henry Noell His Galiard
Lachrimae: The Earl Of Essex Galiard
Lachrimae: Mr. Bucton His Galiard
Lachrimae: Mr. George Whitehead His Almand
Lachrimae: Captain Digorie Piper His Galiard
Lachrimae: Mr. Thomas Collier His Galiard
Lachrimae: Mrs. Nichols Almand

Tracks:

Sacred Songs: Sorrow, Come!
Sacred Songs: I Shame At Mine Unworthiness
Sacred Songs: An Heart That's Broken And Contrite
Psalms: Psalm 100: All People That On Earth Do Dwell
Psalms: Psalm 38: Put Me Not To Rebuke O Lord
Psalms: Psalm 130: Lord To Thee I Make My Moan
Psalms: Psalm 104: My Soul Praise The Lord
Psalms: Psalm 100: All People That On Earth Do Dwell
Psalms: Psalm 134: Behold And Have Regard
A Prayer For The Queen's Most Excellent Majesty
Instrumental Music: Solus cum sola pavan
Instrumental Music: Lachrimae
Instrumental Music: Galliard
Instrumental Music: Pipers Pavan
Instrumental Music: Lachrimae
Instrumental Music: Lady Rich Galliard
Instrumental Music: Earl Of Essex Galliard
Instrumental Music: If My Complaints
Instrumental Music: Lachrimae Doolande
Instrumental Music: Lord Willoughbie's Welcome Home
Instrumental Music: My Lord Chamberlaine His Galliard
Instrumental Music: Comagain
Instrumental Music: Pavan Lachrymae
Instrumental Music: Sorrow Stay

Tracks:

Lute Music: Preludium
Lute Music: Lachrimae
Lute Music: Can She Excuse
Lute Music: Dr. Case's Pavan
Lute Music: Melancholy Galliard
Lute Music: Sir John Smith, His Almain
Lute Music: Fantasia
Lute Music: A Dream
Lute Music: Almain
Lute Music: The Queen's Galliard
Lute Music: Coranto
Lute Music: Resolution
Lute Music: Mrs. Vaux Galliard
Lute Music: Almain
Lute Music: Mr. Dowland's MIdnight
Lute Music: Fantasia
Lute Music: Loth To Depart
Lute Music: The Most Sacred Queen Elizabeth, Her Galliard
Lute Music: The Earl Of Essex, His Galliard
Lute Music: Pavan
Lute Music: John Dowland's Galliard
Lute Music: Aloe
Lute Music: The Lady Clifton's Spirit
Lute Music: What If A Day
Lute Music: Mr. Giles Hobie's Galliard
Lute Music: Come Away (Song arrangement)
Lute Music: Galliard
Lute Music: Fancy (Fantasia)

Tracks:

Lute Music: Lachrimae (Basic Version)
Lute Music: Galliard To Lachrimae
Lute Music: [Jig]
Lute Music: Galliard On 'Wasingham'
Lute Music: Complaint (Ballad Setting)
Lute Music: Mignarda (Galliard)
Lute Music: Semper Dowland Semper Dolens (Pavan)
Lute Music: The Frog Galliard
Lute Music: A Fancy (Fantasia)
Lute Music: Fancy (Fantasia)
Lute Music: Piper's Pavan
Lute Music: Captain Digorie Piper's Galliard
Lute Music: Lady Laiton's Almain
Lute Music: Dowland's Galliard
Lute Music: Dowland's First Galliard
Lute Music: Tarleton's Jig
Lute Music: Walsingham (ballad Setting)
Lute Music: Lord Willoughbie's Welcome Home (Ballad Setting)
Lute Music: Sir Henry Guilforde, His Almain
Lute Music: Pavan (Related To 'Lachrimae')
Lute Music: Mr. Langton's Galliard
Lute Music: Mrs. Clifton's Almain
Lute Music: Galliard
Lute Music: Lady Hunsdon's Puffe (Almain)
Lute Music: Galliard
Lute Music: Go From My Window (Ballad Setting)
Lute Music: Fancy (Fantasia)

Tracks:

Lute Music: Pavana Johan Douland
Lute Music: Mrs. Brigide Fleetwood's Pavan (Solus sine sola)
Lute Music: La mia Barbara
Lute Music: Sir Henry Umpton's Funeral (Pavan)
Lute Music: Lachrimae
Lute Music: Farewell Fancy (Chromatic Fantasia)
Lute Music: Farewell (On The 'In Nomine' Theme)
Lute Music: The King of Denmark's Galliard
Lute Music: Mrs. Vaux's Jig
Lute Music: Mrs. Nichol's Almain
Lute Music: Galliard
Lute Music: Lord Strang's March
Lute Music: Mrs. Winter's Jump
Lute Music: Can She Excuse (Galliard)
Lute Music: The Shoemaker's Wife, A Toy
Lute Music: Mrs. Norrish's Delight
Lute Music: Galliard
Lute Music: Mrs. White's Thing (Almain)
Lute Music: Mrs. White's Nothing
Lute Music: The Frog Galliard
Lute Music: Solus cum sola
Lute Music: The Lord Viscount Lisle, His Galliard
Lute Music: Orlando Sleepeth (Ballad Setting)
Lute Music: Robin (Ballad Setting)
Lute Music: Galliard (On A Galliard By Daniel Bacheler)
Lute Music: Forlorn Hope Fancy (Chromatic Fantasia)

Tracks:

Lute Music: The Lady Russell's Pavan
Lute Music: Fancy (Fantasia)
Lute Music: Sir John Langton's Pavan
Lute Music: Earl Of Derby, His Galliard
Lute Music: A Coy Toy
Lute Music: Fortune My Foe
Lute Music: [Almain]
Lute Music: Mr. Knight's Galliard
Lute Music: Sir John Souch His Galliard
Lute Music: Tarletone's Riserrectione
Lute Music: The Lady Rich, Her Galliard
Consort Music: Lachrimae Pavan
Consort Music: Can She Excuse Galliard
Consort Music: Captain Piper's Pavan And Galliard
Consort Music: The Frog Galliard
Consort Music: Round Battell Galliard
Consort Music: Fortune My Foe
Consort Music: Dowland's First Galliard
Consort Music: Katherine Darcie's Galliard
Consort Music: Tarleton's Jigge
Consort Music: Almain a 2
Consort Music: Mistress Nichols Almain a 2
Fullsack And Hildebrandt: Auserlesener Paduanen und Galliarden: Susanna Fair (Galliard)
Haussmann: Rest von polnischen und andern Tanzen: Mistress Nichols Alman a 5
Opusculum: Mr. John Langton Pavan And Galliard
Opusculum: La mia Barbara Pavan and Galliard
Opusculum: Lachrimae Antiquae Novae Pavan and Galliard

Tracks:

Consort Music: Mistress NIchols Almain
Consort Music: Volta a 4 ('Ioh. Douland')
Consort Music: Were Every Thought an Eye
Consort Music: Lady If You So Spite Me
Consort Music: Pavan a 4
A Musicall Banquet: I. My Heavy Sprite (Anthony Holborne)
A Musicall Banquet: II. Change Thy Mind Since She Doth Change (Richard Martin)
A Musicall Banquet: III. O Eyes, Leave Off Your Weeping (Robert Hales)
A Musicall Banquet: IV. Go, My Flock, Go Get You Hence (Anon.)
A Musicall Banquet: V. O Dear Life, When Shall It Be? (Anon.)
A Musicall Banquet: VI. To Plead My Faith (Daniel Bacheler)
A Musicall Banquet: VII. In A Grove Most Rich Of Shade (Guillaume Tessier)
A Musicall Banquet: VIII. Far From Triumphing Court
A Musicall Banquet: IX. Lady, If You So Spite Me
A Musicall Banquet: X. In Darkness Let Me Dwell
A Musicall Banquet: XI. Si le parler et le silence (Pierre Guedron)
A Musicall Banquet: XII. Ce penser qui sans fin tirannise ma vie (Pierre Guedron)
A Musicall Banquet: XIII. Vous que le Bonheur rappelle (Pierre Guedron)
A Musicall Banquet: XIV. Passava Amor su arco desarmado (Anon. Spanish)
A Musicall Banquet: XV. Sta notte mi sognava (Anon. Italian)
A Musicall Banquet: XVI. Vuestros ojos tienen d'Amor (Anon. Spanish)
A Musicall Banquet: XVII. Se di farmi morire (Domenico Maria Megli)
A Musicall Banquet: XVIII. Dovro dunque morire? (Giulio Caccini)
A Musicall Banquet: XIX. Amarilli mia bella (Giulio Caccini)
A Musicall Banquet: XX. O bella piu (Anon, Italian)

Customer Reviews:

A musical treasure-box.......2006-09-10

Both the music and this actual product are masterpieces. John Dowland's collected works here - covering 12 compact discs - exhibit the depth and power of this composer, a composer who many now regard as suffering from clinical depression. I doubt that the issue of the diagnosis of Dowland's depression can ever be settled, however, it is certainly obvious from his music, so completely on display here, that he was a man with very dark depths and corners in his mind. Dowland's various manifestations and "takes" on his own tune, "Flow my tears"/"Lachrimae" are here. This tune has haunted me ever since I first heard it when I was a child. It seems to sum up Dowland's feelings - at least Dowland seems to have thought so.

The First, Second, Third and Fourth Bookes of Songes, A Musicall Banquet, the keyboard transcriptions, all the lute music, consort music are here and virtually everything else written or supposedly written by John Dowland. Anthony Rooley and The Consort of Musicke perform this music with style and feeling throughout. This 12 CD set is something of a monument to the ensemble - I only wish they'd finished their collection of Monteverdi madrigals, which was equally good (La Venexiana are currently doing a magnificent job of recording all Monteverdi's books of madrigals for the GLOSSA label).

This is an expensive set, however, you will probably never need to buy another John Dowland CD again after buying and listening to this collection.

I bought this CD set on a mild Summer evening of 1998 and listened to it while sitting in my sun room - which a glorious orange sunset in progress, and a glass of wine. It brought back so many memories.

a beautiful journey into melancholy.......2001-06-15

I'm amazed at how many people tend to associate John Dowland's music with a tragic sense of drama. While no doubt this is art highly based on sadness, the "tragic" sense of it is more a legacy from the Romantic period. During the Renaissance, however, sadness was undestood as a very aesthetic way of approaching life. That is also the reason why Shakespeare's tragedies appear more sophisticated than his comedies.

Tracks:

A Piece Without Title - Dowland
Pavana - Dowland
Mr Knights Galliard - Dowland
My lord willobies wellcome home - Dowland
The frogg galliard - Dowland
A Fancy - Dowland
My Ladie Riches galyerd - Dowland
The Lady Laitons Almone - Dowland
A Dream (Lady Leighton's Paven) - Dowland
Galliard - Dowland
Orlando sleepeth - Dowland
What if a Day - Dowland
Mrs Winters Jumpp - Dowland
Galliard - Dowland
M. Giles Hobies Galiard - Dowland
Dr Cases Pauen - Dowland
Mellancoly Galliard - Dowland
Galliard - Dowland
Mistris Whittes thinge - Dowland
Go from my windowe - Dowland
Almain - Dowland
Mrs Whites Nothing - Dowland
Pavan - Dowland
Galliard - Dowland
Farewell - Dowland

Tracks:

My lady hunnsdons puffe
Solus cum sola
Suzanna Galliard
Sir John Smith his Almain
Sweet Robyne
Dowlands first galliard
Master Pypers Pavyn
Captain Digorie Piper his Galliard
As I wen to Walsingham
Monsieur's Almaine
Mrs Brigide fleetwoods paven alias Solus sine sola
Dowlands Galliard
Farwell (As
Captain Candishe his Galyard
Aloe
Can she excuse
A Coye Joye
Mrs vauxes Gigge
Mrs vaux Galliarde
Sir Henry Guilforde his Almaine
Mignarda
Lachrimae
Sir John Souch his galliard
Fantasia

Tracks:

The most high and mightie Christianus, the fourth King of Denmark, his Galliard
Sir John Langton his Pavin
Mr. Langtons galliard
A Fancy
A Pavan
The most sacred Queene Elizabeth, her Galliard
Mrs. Cliftons Allmaine
The Right Honourable the Lady Cliftons Spirit
tarletones riserrectione
Tarletons Willy
fortune my foe
The Queenes galliard
Wallsingham
A Galliard (on Walsingham)
Dowlands Adew for Master Oliver Cromwell
The Right Honourable Ferdinando Earle of Darby, his Galliard
Lord Strangs March
Mistresse Nichols Almand
forlone Hope fancye
Mr. Dowlands Midnight
Semper Dowland semper dolens

Tracks:

Preludium
A Fancy
Lachrimae
Galliard to Lachrimae
A Fantasia
An Almand
Pavana
The Right Honourable Robert, Earl of Essex, his Galliard
A Galliard (on a galliard by Daniel Bachelar)
My Lord Wilobies Welcom Home
The Shoemakers Wife. A Toy
The Right Hounourable The Lord Viscount Lisle, his Galliard
Coranto
A Galliard
The Lady Russells Paven
Galliard (on Awake sweet love, set by Fr. Cutting)
The Frog Galliard
Come Away
La mia Barbara
Loth to Departe

Tracks:

A Fancy
Pavana Dowlandi Angli (Mylius #2)
Doulands rounde battell galyarde
Pavin
The Erle of Darbies Galiard
Mistris Norrishis Delight
A Jig
The Erle of Essex Galliard
Galliard
Une Jeune Fillette
Gagliarda
Pavana Lachrimae
Squires Galliard
A Fancy
Hasellwoods Galliard
Sir Thomas Monson, his Pavin
Sir Thomas Monson, his Galliard
Almande
Sir Henry Umptons Funerall
Captayne Pipers Galliard
A fantasie

Amazon.com

Dowland did for lute music what Haydn did for the string quartet and Beethoven the piano sonata. The finest lutenist and songwriter of his age--he composed several of the greatest hits of the late 16th and early 17th centuries--the surviving lute works constitute a sort of encyclopedia of the possibilities of the instrument. There are song arrangements, dance pieces, tributes to the composer's friends, even a musical self-portrait. Much of the music is fashionably sad. Lute songs generally deal with the agony of lost love, and Dowland's most popular tune was called Lachrimae (Tears). Paul O'Dette is simply the best lutenist alive. These five discs are available together at a special price, or separately. A reference edition. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......2007-03-31

If you are a fan of the music of John Dowland, you must own this CD. The playing is outstanding to say the least.

It's not heavy breathing.......2006-08-22

It's great that O'Dette gives us the complete solo works, of course. I have the common reaction to O'Dette: his technique is flawless, his performance unengaging.

Others have remarked on the "heavy breathing" noticeable on the recordings -- it's not heavy breathing, but the movement of his fingers on the gut strings making that sound.

Technically good, emotionally bland. .......2006-04-11

Considering the extreme paucity of (especially solo) lute recordings currently available worldwide,
but especially in the US, this set becomes an essential "must have" for all lovers of the lute.
Yet it somehow disappoints.
I am sure that Paul O'Dette is brimming over with virtuousity and a technical expertise
that I am hardly one to pass sound judgement upon.
But the recordings have a flatness and monotony;
the songs are rendered with precision, but seem to lack feeling, empathy, or enthusiasm throughout the offering.
It is an impressive compendium, and I'm glad I purchased it.
There are very few lutenists out there producing any music at all, so Mr. O'Dette should certainly be praised
for delivering such a substantial feast to our ears.
It just should have had more flavor.
Where is Konrad Ragossnig when you need him?

Highly recommended.......2005-10-23

I bought Volume 1 of this set a couple of years ago. It has become one of my favorite CDs, so I thought I would enjoy the full set. I have not been disappointed. I find the sound quality excellent, the playing superb. The included booklet has a lot of interesting background material. The music is great as background for a dinner party or intimate conversation, but has depth aplenty for concentrated listening. I often listen to it while working at the computer where I swear it improves concentration and productivity!

A few tunes appear more than once as Dowland reused some work, but the arrangements are sufficiently different to be interesting. It is his complete lute works, after all. Some might criticise the set for sounding too much in the same style. It is the work of one composer, and if you happen to like the style, as I do, this is a pro rather than a con.

Another reviewer mentioned obtrusive breathing on the recording. I had listened to Volume 1 for two years before reading the review and had not noticed this. On listening carefully, there is breathing audible, but I do not find it a problem. Perhaps it depends whether one listens to the music or the background.

just a warning..........2005-10-14

Beautiful music, but... you can hear Paul's heavy breathing throughout. Apparently a lot of other reviewers either don't hear the heavy breathing, or aren't bothered by it, but for me, it's a near deal-breaker. Go ahead and mark my review as unhelpful, but I had to put the warning out there.

Average customer rating:

Ever wondered what was before Bach, Lully, or Palestrina?

Madrigal History Tour
The King's Singers , The Consorte of Musicke , various/anonymous/traditional , and Anthony Rooley
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Chansons | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Partsongs | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
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All At Once Well Met: English Madrigals; The King's Singers
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The King"s Singers: English Renaissance

ASIN: B000246J7M
Release Date: 2004-01-01

Tracks:

Amor Vittorioso
Lirum Bililirum
Il Bianco E Dolce Cigno
La Bella Franceschina
Ultima Mei Sospiri
Alla Cazza
Or Si Rallegri Il Cielo
Fine Knacks For Ladies
Who Made Thee, Hob, Forsake The Plough
Of All The Birds That I Do Know
Too Much I Once Lamented
Fair Phyllis I Saw
The Silver Swan
Now Is The Month Of Maying
La Guerre
La, La, La, Je Ne L'ose Dire
Bon Jour: Et Puis, Quelles Nouvelles
Mignonne, Allons Voir Si La Rose
Il Est Bel Et Bon
Margot Labourez Les Vignes
Un Gentil Armoureux
Faulte D'Argent
La Tricotea Samartin La Vea
Triste Estaba El Rey David
Cucu, Cucu!
Tres Morillas M'enamoran
Fatal La Parte
La Bomba
Tanzen Und Springen
Vitrum Nostrum Gloriosum
Ach Elsein, Liebes Elselein
Ach, Weh Des Leiden
Das G'Laut Zu Speyer
Herzliebstes Bild

Customer Reviews:

Ever wondered what was before Bach, Lully, or Palestrina?.......2007-04-29

During the days of the Renaissance, the madrigal was one
of the most popular musical forms and outputs. The King's Singers, a modern-day all male vocal group, demonstrate the authentic sound of which these 34 chosen madrigals may have been performed. In the Renaissance, in place of sopranos and altos, there were countertenors (men who sang falsetto in a feminine range). That's what these guys do; just listen to the first few and you'll automatically be transported back to this magical and sort of other-worldly time. If you've been to Renaissance fairs, it will make you think of those, too.

The King's Singers offer 34 well-chosen madrigals from composers like John Dowland, Hans Leo Hassler, Clement Jannequin and some composers who wished to remain anonymous. They are grouped by the different languages to show that the madrigal wasn't just the rage in Italy where it had originated but at various other places all over Europe, the hub of the music world. The Italian ones come first, then in English, French, Spanish and German. The best one in the set is "La Guerre" which runs 6 minutes, and is an incredible vocal showpiece. It's even very funny at times.

If you want to hear exactly how Renaissance madrigals sound, this is the real deal.

Medieval & Renaissance Minstrels, Songs & Dances

Average customer rating:

A very nice album for SCAdian ears
Recording is defective
adequate performances but totally inadequate information
A nice overview of very early music
Don't Be Affraid

Medieval & Renaissance Minstrels, Songs & Dances

Manufacturer: Legacy
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Folk | Styles | Music

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General | International | Styles | Music

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Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000002NR5
Release Date: 1994-07-18

Tracks:

Renaissance Song & Dance
Dance Suite - Eramus Widmann - Collection Of1613
Three English Songs For Voices And Instruments
Instrumental Music Of The Early Barogue
Festive Sounds
Trouvere Tunes
The Cabinet Organ
Lauda And Motet
Minstrel Melodies
Medieval Dances

Customer Reviews:

A very nice album for SCAdian ears.......2007-04-25

This is a fun album. it's festive, playful, and a real joy to listen to. There is something for everyone in this album--including and especially SCAdians. In fact there's probably at least one piece on this album that every SCAdian dancer, musician, and/or bard will recognize. There's courtly songs, love songs, and get out of your chair dances, even formal pieces you associate with concert halls.

Whether you play in the SCA or just love great historical music, this is one of the better albums I've ever bought--on amazon or anywhere else!

Recording is defective.......2007-04-06

The first one I got had a lot of popping and crackling, and some digital defects that cause the CD player to skip. I liked the music so I bought another copy and it was the same. Both wound up in the trash. Don't waste your money on this disk.

adequate performances but totally inadequate information.......2005-04-27

It is perhaps unfair to judge the performances on this recording (presumably made in the late 1950s/early 60s? - we are not given a date) by modern standards of early music performance. Yes, there are moments when the experimental nature of the approach is all too apparent, both in terms of the [im]plausibility of the interpretations and in the [at times] excruciating intonation (a particularly pertinent example is the shawm playing in track 10). But what is in fact by far the most deplorable feature of this recording is the utter sparsity of information provided - about the performers, the instruments, the composers, the repertoire, etc. Worse still, what little that is provided is often hopelessly inaccurate: sometimes in the form of blatant spelling errors (eg the Coventry Carol becomes here 'Lully Lullary', etc), at other times factual blunders (the medieval 'Estampie' in track 10 is in fact a 16th cent [ie Renaissance] tourdion, 'Quand je bois du vin clairet', whilst John Dowland's 'Frogg Galliard', c.1597, is here given an anonymous attribution...etc, etc, etc).

In short, for those not acquainted with pre-Baroque music, this is NOT a good place to start!!! Seasoned Early Music connoisseurs, on the other hand, may find a perverse pleasure in some atrocious moments, or perhaps take interest in its value as an example of historically informed performance style in the pioneering years - but you have been warned!!

For those interested, here are some alternative recommendations if you are new to this music: firstly, 2 wide-ranging compilations by 2 well-known ensembles -

1. Sinners and Saints - The New London Consort/Philip Pickett (Decca 48559)
2. Portrait ('Moyen Age et Renaissance') - Hesperion XX/Jordi Savall (Auvidis Fontalis 'Portrait' ES9904), or either of the 2 new compilations by Savall and his ensemble(s) on Alia Vox ('Harmonie Universelle', AV9810; 'Harmonie Universelle II', AV9839).

and a compilation (mostly of early music) featuring a number of different groups -

'Pastime with Good Company' (Alpha, A901) [includes groups like L'Arpegiatta, Le Poeme Harmonique, Diabolus in Musica...]

A nice overview of very early music.......2003-12-02

This was one of the first recordings of early music I ever bought. It's a broad survey of styles and periods, from the 12th to 17th centuries. I've become a more sohisticated listener since then, but I still get this one out fairly regularly. The recording is apparently old and the digital remastering was not done extraordinarily well, but those who are more interested in music than in audio equipment should be able to listen through the occasional (minor) vinyl surface noise. My major complaint (why I gave it 3 stars instead of 4) is the lack of documentation--there is no information about the musicians, and many of the composers are uncredited (some because they actually are anonymous, but sometimes out of apparent laziness). Still, at this price it's a bargain.

Don't Be Affraid.......2003-11-19

This cd is worth picking up. Yes the first couple of tracks have pops and crackles in it. And yes it sounds as if the music was transfered directly from a vinyl source. But the performances and selections on this cd are fabulous. And you get use to the flaws in the recordings. Which I find minor.

Tracks:

The Buffens
Nuttmigs And Ginger
Green Garters
There Were Three Ravens
Howells Delight
Goe From My Window
Green Sleeves
La Sampogna
Unto The Prophet Jonas I Read
The Carmans Whistle
Galliard Can Shee Excuse
Lachrimae Pavin
The Quadro Pavin
Singers Jig
Grimstock
De la Tromba Pavin
Jewes Daunce
Pavane Quadro And Galliard
Joyne Hands
Watkins Ale

Amazon.com

If you think people didn't have much fun in the 16th century, you may change your mind after you hear the kind of music the ordinary folks were singing, playing, and listening to. The Baltimore Consort, internationally recognized for its outstanding programs and performances of early music, offer us an immediately appealing--and irresistible--assortment of popular tunes from 16th-century England, some of which you may recognize in their modern incarnations. "There were three ravens," "Greensleeves," and John Dowland's famous "Lachrimae Pavan" are a few of the better-known pieces. The Baltimore Consort is known not only for its fabulous musicianship but also for its arrangements, which always seem to perfectly suit the tunes; this disc comprises 20 examples of that virtuosity, and you'll want to hear them again and again. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely The Best!.......2004-12-31

I love this CD. The music is soothing, fun and romantic. My suggestion is to play this CD while you are having a lovely dinner with friends or with just one "special" friend. This music in the background during your meal will be awesome!

More than just an alcoholic drink.......2004-08-09

The Baltimore Consort are performers in the truest sense -- the energy and sheer brilliance they exude during performances is infectious and heady. Luckily for those of us who rarely or never get to see them perform, all of this comes across in their recordings. This CD makes both an excellent introduction for those uninitiated in the joy that is English Renaissance music, and an important addition to the library of anyone already familiar with such music. The emotion, grace and at times sheer bawdiness of the Baltimore Consort's performances will entertain you and make you smile with glee; "Watkins Ale" is *not* just some sort of alcohol proffered to a young maiden by a strapping young lad -- it may take some careful listening and thinking about the text to realize this! Custer LaRue's flawless vocals, here sounding like a young woman and there like a young lad, are breathtaking. Check your pulse if you don't find yourself dancing along.

Watkins ale is very well performed.......2003-12-23

Miss LaRue is excellent singing Watkins ale, a funny tale about the effects of some alcoholic drink on a young woman. I am writing this to stress that Americans are at times also able to produce excellent performances of "older music". Have an open mind!

Watkins Ale.......2003-10-03

You'll love this one. Don't pass it up.

Joyful and Unique.......2001-12-25

The first time I heard the first track of this CD at Amazon.com homepage, I had the wish of buying it. The English Renaissance songs are performed in a very happy and different way. The version to the Green Sleeves is unique and joyful. The Baltimore Consort performs Renaissance music with very sensitivity. The sound is so pure and transmits happiness and peace.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful sampler of Dowland's music
A great introduction to Dowlandýs and renaissance music

Dowland: Consort Music

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Solo Instrumental | New Age | Styles | Music

$6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

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ASIN: B0000014DF
Release Date: 1998-10-10

Tracks:

Mr. John Langston's Pavan
Mistresse Nichols Almand
The Earle of Essex Galiard
A Sheperd in a Shade
Lasso vita mia
M. Buctons Galiard
M. henry Noel his galiard
M. Thomas Collier his Galiard
Farewell (In Nomine)
Semper Dowland semper dolens
Sweet stay awhile
Can she excuse my wrongs
A Fancy
M. Giles Hobbies Galiard
Captaine Digorie Piper his Galiard
The King of Denmark's Galiard
Burst forth my tears
Dowland's Adieu for Master Oliver Cromwell
M. George Whitehead his Almand
M. Nicholas Gryffith his Galiard
Sir John Souch his Galiard
All ye whom love or fortune
Sir Henry Umpton's Funerall

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful sampler of Dowland's music.......2007-03-25

An excellent sampler of Dowland's repertoire. The Rose Consort of Viols plays wonderfully and are well supported by a warm and immediate recording. I have spent many hours enjoying this album. Naxos strikes gold once again. Highly recommended!

A great introduction to Dowlandýs and renaissance music.......2000-09-18

If you are a classic or pop fan (or both), and you are not familiar with early music, buy this CD. After you will become addicted to it (as I had) you will rush to buy other CDs of this composer and period (as I did). It contains a balanced repertoire of galliards and other viols' music, songs and lute pieces, and all possible combinations of them. While not making any allowance for popularity, it does contain several timeless pieces that will nail you from first listening (try "lasso vita mia", for example), and the other pieces will get under your skin after several more. The sound of the Rose Consort of Viols is amazingly warm, makes you wonder why classical composers ever stopped writing for these instruments. Dowland's music is beautifully polyphonic, yet it never quits being melodious and lyrical. In fact, for pop fans it might be very enjoyable to discover Bach in a natural way by starting with Dowland, and not the other way around. This CD is not perfect: I would like my galliards with a bit more swing to them, and perhaps this is why this CD seems to over-emphasize the melancholic side of Dowland. Overall, however, this one is still closer to five stars than four, in the disc library of any music fan.

Kathleen Battle & Christopher Parkening ~ Pleasures of Their Company

Average customer rating:

Enjoying The Pleasures of K. Battle & C. Parkening
Great blending of the talents of two top-notch artists in their respective fields. Parkening on the guitar and Battle singing.
Superb technique, emotionally flat, but enjoyable even so.
ONE OF MY FAVOURITES
Fans will be delighted!

Kathleen Battle & Christopher Parkening ~ Pleasures of Their Company
John Dowland , Manuel de Falla , Charles Gounod , Heitor Villa-Lobos , Enrique Granados , Fini Henriques , Jaime Ovalle , Joaquim Antonio Barroso Neto , Franz Xaver Richter , Anonymous , William Levi Dawson , Robert MacGimsey , Kathleen Battle , and Christopher Parkening
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000002RNM
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Music By John Dowland: Come Again! Sweet Love Doth Now Invite
Music By John Dowland: Allemande (Guitar Solo)
Music By John Dowland: What If I Never Speed?
Music By John Dowland: Galliard (Guitar Solo)
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Ave Maria
Bachianas Brasileiras No.5: Aria
Coleccion De Tonadillas: La Maja De Goya
Three Brazilian Songs: Boi-Bumba
Three Brazilian Songs: Azulao
Three Brazilian Songs: Para Ninar
Three Spanish Folk Songs: Cancion
Three Spanish Folk Songs: Nana
Three Spanish Folk Songs: Seguidillia Murciana
Six Spirituals: Ain't Got No Time To Die
Six Spirituals: I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray
Six Spirituals: Ain't That Good News!
Six Spirituals: Sweet Little Jesus Boy
Six Spirituals: This Little Light Of Mine
Six Spirituals: Ride On King Jesus

Customer Reviews:

Enjoying The Pleasures of K. Battle & C. Parkening.......2007-05-06

Whether you are very familiar with these two artists or have never heard either one, you will delight in this musical collaboration. Only a guitarist of Christopher Parkening's stature could be the ideal accompaniment to the perfection of Kathleen Battle's voice. The music ranges from selections by John Dowland to American spirituals, Bach/Gounod, Villa-Lobos, Granados and some Spanish folk songs. The result is a coherent, soothing and utterly delightful listening experience. You will revisit this album often, and always be glad that you have it. For fans of Kathleen Battle and Christopher Parkening, I think it is a must.

Great blending of the talents of two top-notch artists in their respective fields. Parkening on the guitar and Battle singing........2006-01-31

We always enjoyed seeing and hearing Battle in concerts, usually on the television and Parkening has been a favorite guitarist. To listen to these two fine artists in concert is a real treat.

Superb technique, emotionally flat, but enjoyable even so........2005-05-25

I can't imagine these songs being performed with any greater technical brilliance than they are by Parkening and Battle on this CD. Both are virtuosos, him in the guitar, her the voice. Their skill is particularly apparent in the Dowland songs, the "Ave Maria", and the Bachianas brasileiras no. 5 (for me, the high point of the recording), which are all in a formal style well suited to the talents of the performers.

I compare the Brazilian songs to the version recorded by Salli Terri with Laurindo Almeida in the late '50's on "Duets with Spanish Guitar", which I have listened to repeatedly since I first heard it in 1959. Battle's phrasing, enunciation, and vocal skill are far superior to Terri's, but Terri brought a level of emotion to her singing that Battle seems to lack. Where Battle's perfection enhances her superb performances of the Dowland and Villa-Lobos pieces, it seems to detract from her performance of the Brazilian folk pieces.

I find this to be true again in the spirituals - vocal perfection and control detracting from the "soul" required to bring out the "spiritual" feeling. Imagine these same pieces sung by Mahalia Jackson or Aretha Franklin and you'll understand my point.

Parkening's performance has the same quality - technical virtuosity, especially noticeable in his lute-like technique in the Dowland solo - but lacking in emotional depth.

The classical selections are highly recommended, the folk pieces a bit disappointing, but overall an enjoyable recording.

ONE OF MY FAVOURITES.......2004-03-19

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE BATTLE ALBUMS, HER SWEET VOICE IS ACCOMPAINED BY THE GUITAR VIRTUOSO CHRISTOPHER PARKENING, TOGETHER CREATE A TENDER, DELIGHTFUL & BEAUTIFUL LISTENING EXPERIENCE. BACHIANAS BRASILEIRAS N- 5 HAS IT`S BEST PERFORMANCE IN THIS CD.

Fans will be delighted!.......2003-08-25

Fans, maybe, but I must say I'm not a huge fan of Kathleen Battle or opera or songs in different languages, either. My mom is, though. And through her I have heard Kathleen's best. And her very best (if you ask me) is one of the tracks ON THIS CD titled "Ain't that good news," even though it should be called "Ain'ta dat good news," since that is how its sung. It is a really good song (ask anybody) with a little surprise high-note at the end. If I were you I would (if not buy this CD right here and now) then go to [a book store] and see if their computers will let you hear "Ain't that good news" because that song is great.

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