Dowland: Prelude for lute

It is a remarkable coincidence that 2013 happens to be, along with Britten’s centenary, the 50th anniversary of Nocturnal, the 450th birthday of John Dowland and the 80th birthday of Julian Bream. In an attempt to mark all of these events, this recording presents, along with the Britten, three important works which span the fifty years which have followed it - Walton’s Five Bagatelles, Thomas Wilson’s Dreammusic, and John McLeod’s Fantasy on themes from Britten’s Gloriana, the latter composed specifically to mark Britten’s centenary, alongside short pieces by John Dowland.

This recording is entirely devoted to English music. A reason for that is my interest in the culture and musical world of that country and what concerns its literature, poetry and visual arts. Music in England has always, from its very early period, had a specific and definite character.

Continuing its work with the rising stars of the early music world, CORO is delighted to be releasing a brand new recording by two of The Sixteen’s principal members - soprano, Elin Manahan Thomas and theorbo and lute player, David Miller.

The seventeenth century devotional songs on this disc were written against a backdrop of furious historical dramas and lurching tides of fortune. The songs chosen reflect these assorted times and contexts, and are accordingly diverse.

Ravish’d with Sacred Extasies (a quote taken directly from Playford's ‘Harmonia Sacrae’) explores some of the most beautiful Elizabethan lute songs ranging from the doctrinally eloquent to the theologically unsteady, from the spare and the restrained to the opulent and the overblown, from Dowland’s small cluster of late devotional songs to Purcell’s flowery and luscious settings.

Guild is pleased to present music by John Dowland combined with world premiere recordings of 5 new lute songs by Peter Croton, lute teacher at the renowned Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. An additional feature of this recording is the inclusion of new lute solos arranged by Croton based on Dowland songs. In CONCERTO Magazine: “The manner in which the Bothe/Croton duo, with intelligent emotionality and natural passion, was able to uncover new aspects of lute songs by Dowland totally enchanted the audience, which exploded in thunderous applause”. In the GERMAN LUTE SOCIETY newsletter: “The few attempts to extend the lute repertory into the 20th and 21st centuries have not attracted the attention of the listening public. All the more welcome, therefore, is the opportunity to report here songs which in my opinion have the potential to become a permanent part of the lute song repertory… the audience is treated to music both challenging and refined. Bothe’s voice is a feast for the ears, Croton’s playing is lively and impeccable”. Special guest Derek Lee Ragin is regarded as one of the foremost vocal artists of our day and is also known to a wide international audience from the soundtrack to the film "Farinelli”.

These beautiful and melancholy “Ayres” by the English 16th century composer John Dowland may be seen as precursors of the songs of the Romantic period, two centuries later. They are performed here by the renowned combination of Gerard Lesne and the Ensemble Orlando Gibbons.