The Sound of Tears, œuvres pour luth

Description

John Dowland occupies a unique place in the history of music: a singular figure, capable of leaving his mark on an era both as a composer and as a virtuoso. Despite his Catholic faith — a major obstacle in England at the time — and a temperament notoriously inclined toward melancholy, he achieved international renown. Although today he is associated almost exclusively with the melancholic aesthetic of the pavane “Lachrimae,” Dowland’s output is surprisingly varied. His writing combines a natural melodic gift with refined contrapuntal rigor; even in the most virtuosic passages, the music remains perfectly idiomatic for the lute. His catalogue includes around a hundred solo pieces, as many songs, and major works for viol consort.