Jan Kobow - John Dowland & His Contemporaries: Come Again (2013)
Artist: Jan Kobow
Title: John Dowland & His Contemporaries: Come Again
Year Of Release: 2013
Label: CPO
Genre: Classical
Quality: FLAC (tracks)
Total Time: 70:39 min
Total Size: 374 MB
WebSite: Album Preview
Tracklist:Title: John Dowland & His Contemporaries: Come Again
Year Of Release: 2013
Label: CPO
Genre: Classical
Quality: FLAC (tracks)
Total Time: 70:39 min
Total Size: 374 MB
WebSite: Album Preview
01. Ludi musici, Part I: No 21. Galliard battaglia
02. Lachrimae, "Seaven Teares": XXI. The King of Denmarks Galiard
03. Book of Songs, Book 2: Flow, my tears, fall from your springs
04. Le Petit Bouquet de Frise Orientale: X. Padvana d'Aurick
05. Paduana
06. Galliard
07. Susanne un jour
08. Lachrimae, "Seaven Teares": XVI. M. Buctons Galiard
09. Susanna paduanna
10. Galliarde 18
11. Book of Songs, Book 1: Can she excuse my wrongs
12. Lachrimae, "Seaven Teares": XIX. The Earle of Essex Galiard
13. Galathee: Soll't ich o Bild der Tugend nicht preisen
14. Dualant gagliarde
15. Allerhand Oden und Lieder: Weiber nehmen ist kein Pferdekauf
16. Paduana und Galliard: Paduana
17. Galliarde
18. Book of Songs, Book 1: Come, heavy sleep
19. Book of Songs, Book 2: Fine Knacks for Ladies
20. Lachrimae, "Seaven Teares": XVIII. Captaine Digorie Piper his Galiard
21. Book of Songs, Book 1: If my complaints could passions move
22. No. 2. Paduana a 6
23. No. 22. Galliard a 4
24. Mr. Knight's Galliard, P. 36
25. Terpsichore: Gaillarde CCCVII (arr. for chamber ensemble)
26. Mrs. Winter's Jump, P. 55
27. Terpsichore: Gaillarde CCC (arr. for chamber ensemble)
28. Paduana Anglois
29. Book of Songs, Book 1: Come again, sweet love doth now invite
There is a fine selection of performances of John Dowland's music by English musicians available, and it may be that few listeners outside Germany will be attracted to this recording of his music by German viol group Hamburger Ratsmusik and its leader, Simone Eckert, with tenor Jan Kobow. That would be a shame, for there is plenty to distinguish this album from other Dowland releases on the market. The program is unique: the "contemporaries" mentioned in the title are not the usual English suspects, but a group of mostly German (or Danish) instrumental composers. Some such as Michael Praetorius, are well known, but others like Dane Melchior Borchgrevinck are obscure. This makes a good deal of sense inasmuch as Dowland spent a good deal of his career outside England, with his music becoming known across much of the European continent. The case for treating Dowland as characteristically British rests partly on the strain of sheer melancholy in his music, something that was seen as associated with English aesthetics at the time. More than half the music is not by Dowland at all. The net effect of all this is to deflect attention away from the melancholy effect and toward Dowland's contrapuntal genius, an aspect of his music that has been insufficiently explored. Add in these factors: 1) Kobow offers no indication that he is anything other than a native English speaker, and he does a creditable job on such Dowland hits as Come Again; 2) the playing of the viol group is a good deal more expressive than you would be led to believe by the heavily footnoted booklet notes; and 3) the sound environment of the North German Radio studios in Hannover is little short of ideal. The result: a superior release that belongs in any collection of Dowland recordings or of music of the early 16th century in general.