Customer Reviews

John Dowland

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

THE SUBJECT

John Dowland was not only one of the most prominent lutenists of the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages, he was one of the greatest (some say THE greatest) English composer of all time. All but forgotten for three hundred years, his music was revived and brought back to the public attention largely by the work of Julian Bream, whose favourite composer he became. His works are now staples of the Early Music repertory.

THE AUTHOR

The late Diana Poulton (1903-95) was the first Professor of Lute at the Royal College of Music, and in her lifetime was the recognized authority on Dowland. With Ian Harwood she also founded the British Lute Society, the first of its kind in the World.

Together with the The Collected Lute Music of John Dowland, this book represents the culmination of her life's work. According to an article by Donna Curry ("Diana Poulton: An Appreciation of Her Life"): "[R]esearch was not an easy proposition before microfilm, photocopies, and reference books citing locations of MSS and first editions. Existence and location of music had to be found in library catalogs when obtainable. Copying had to be by hand in pencil. If music abroad were needed, it meant traveling there, ordering expensive photographs, or finding a local friend who would copy it. Diana's hand copied music, books, documents, etc., filled stacks of notebooks."

CONTENTS

The contents are as follows:

1. The life of John Dowland
2. The solo lute music
3. The song-books
4. Psalms and spiritual songs
5. Lachrimę and other consort music
6. Dowland's translations
7. Patrons and friends
8. Posthumous reputation

Appendix 1: Additional manuscripts containing lute music by Dowland
Appendix 2: Fretting and tuning the lute (by David Mitchell)

Bibliography
General index
Index of works by John Dowland

EDITIONS

The first edition was published in 1972. A number of sources subsequently came to light which revealed some hitherto unknown compositions by Dowland and many concordances of already known pieces. The corrections and additions are summarised in the Preface to the revised edition.

Amazon lists both British (Faber) and American (University of California Press) versions of the second edition, so check which is cheaper before you buy.

SUMMARY

This is not merely a biography but an encyclopędia of everything that is known about John Dowland, with abundant musical examples and discussion thereof. To paraphrase the man himself:

Excellent men haue at all times in all Arts deliuered to Posteritie their obseruations, thereby bringing Arts to a cartaintie and perfection. Among which there is no Writer more worthy in the Arts of Musicke than this Author Diana Poulton.