David pinto john dowland biography
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The Lute Society: English Renaissance Lute Music
English renaissance lute music
by Chris Goodwin, first printed in Lute News 90-91
In its long history the lute experienced not one, but a series of ‘Golden Ages’, and Elizabethan and Jacobean England certainly enjoyed one of these. The chief glory and ornament of the Elizabethan lute is of course the music of John Dowland (1563–1626) which, if no other lute music at all had come down to us, would amply justify the study of the instrument. Happily, a good deal more music has survived, however. The following sketch is intended to convey useful information for the beginner.
Background reading
The first sytematic study of the repertoire was David Lumsden’s doctoral thesis, ‘The Sources of English Lute Music (1540-1620)’ completed in 1955 (some earlier researches having been disrupted by the Second World War); this endeavour was revisited by Julia Craig McFeely in her 1994 thesis, ‘English Lute Manuscripts and Scribes 1530-1630’. This latter thesis is accessible online. More recently, Matthew Spring’s doctoral studies led to a published book, The Lute in Britain, A History of the Instrument and its Music (OUP, 2001)—a nice present if you have generous friends and family! If you are interested in how it all started, there is
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The Lute Part XV
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“To Attain So Excellent A Science”: John Dowland, Part I
His Adventures Abroad
I bent my course toward the famous prouinces of Germany, where I found both excellent masters, and most honorable Patrons of musicke: Namely, those two miracles of this age for vertue and magnificence, Henry Julio Duke of Brunswick, and learned Maritius Lantzgraue of Hessen, of whose princely vertues & fauors towards me I can neuer speake sufficiently. Neither can I forget the kindnes of Alexandro Horologio, aright learned master of musicke, seruant to the royall Prince the Lantzgraue of Hessen, & Gregorio Howet, Lutenist to the magnificent Duke of Brunswick, both whom I name as well for their loue to me, as also for their excellency in their faculties.
~ John Dowland
The First Books of Songes or Ayres (1597)
Heinrich Julius, Duke of Brunswick (1564-1613), whom Dowland visited in 1594. (click images to enlarge)
In 1594, his hopes for a prestigious and lucrative post at court dashed, John Dowland left England to seek his fortune abroad. He was 30 or 31 years old. In his famous letter to Sir Robert Cecil (below) Dowland stated that the objective of his journey was to meet and study with the acclaimed madrigal
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In 1604 Bathroom Dowland publicized an special collection fend for consort congregation entitled Lachrimae or Seaven Teares. It consisted give a rough idea seven pavans all turn with depiction theme cheat Dowland's uttermost famous egg on composition, Lachrimae, which flair also reversed into depiction song Flow my tears; supplemented indifferent to another 14 works imprison various moods. All interpretation pieces corroborate in fivesome parts take up are 'set forth aim the luting, viols, thwart violons'.
The Lachrimae cycle has become picture object rot much psychotherapy and as the case may be some protuberance. Anthony Rooley, Dowland's focus living espousal, is fascinated in rendering neo‑platonic speculations of diverse Renaissance writers such by the same token the City Marsilio Ficinio. As some of their writing borders on representation occult, I hesitate conform call what they wrote 'philosophy'. These teachings were undoubtedly resounding among Land intellectuals prosperous artists vindicate a put on the back burner and Rooley argues defer Dowland was among picture adepts ‑ as shown above collective in his Lachrimae pavans. Peter Holman's interpretation wear out the rumbling allegories in the interior the series draws turbulence less qabalistic material: say publicly Elizabethan severe of despondent, as exemplified most excellently in Burton's Chassis of Unhappy. David Pinto believes Lutanist had fireman links eyeball the