HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

John Dowland

It is thought that late Renaissance composer, John Dowland, was born in London in 1563, the year prior to Shakespeare in 1564. Like Shakespeare, Dowland is associated with the Golden Age of Elizabeth I whose reign stretched from 1558 to her passing in 1603. Unlike Shakespeare, he became a Roman Catholic which was a mixed bag in Elizabeth's Protestant England insofar as it was both dangerous and not to be so. For Dowland it wasn't so long as he kept it mum, but it won no favors either. Though Elizabeth decided that England should be a Protestant land for the general public, she recognized that she was a queen of the times reigning over passions which didn't shift in mind and soul on automatic, such that depending on your position or the closer you got to her the more likely it was alright to be Catholic so long as you kept it to yourself. William Byrd a generation older than Dowland was Catholic and yet doing quite well under Elizabeth.

We pick up Dowland's career in 1580 when he was in the employment of ambassadors to France, taking him to Paris where he became Catholic before returning to England in 1584. In 1588 Dowland took his bachelor's degree from Oxford. That would have required subscribing to articles of the Anglican Church. Europe's earliest colleges were the University of Paris emerging about 1150 AD toward the construction of the Cathedral of Notre Dame begun in 1163 during the reign of King Louis VII, and Oxford University emerging about 1100 toward the development of a music department circa 1200 while Notre Dame was yet being built. Below is a 1566 drawing by Thomas Neale of Lincoln college, contemporaneous with Dowland and Elizabeth I. Wanting perspective, he apparently saw farther things nearer and nearer things farther.

Lincoln College Oxford University 1566

Source: Lincoln College

Literacy was higher in Dowland's England than on the continent for no small period of time. In 1600 the literacy rate of the common laborer was 90% in England. In 1720 Germany where printing had been invented around 1440 (Gutenberg), four of five men still couldn't sign their own name. As for Dowland, his 'Frog Galliard' is thought to have been transcribed into the Ms.V.b.280 (olim 1610.1) circa 1590, recopied by 1594 and presently housed at the US-Washington Folger-Shakespeare Library. "Frog" is likely in reference to Duc d’Alençon who had been a suitor of Elizabeth's from 1579 to 1581, so endeared by her as he was apparently unattractive, although a good partner at the galliard, one of her favorite dances. The galliard was of recent development in dance for which Dowland wrote numerous lute melodies.

'Frog Galliard' Galliard by John Dowland

Transcribed into the 'Ms.V.b.280 (olim 1610.1)' c 1590

Lute: Paul O'Dette

Dowland came upon opportunity to perform 'My heart and tongue were twinnes' for the Queen in 1592, the same year he contributed compositions to Thomas Este's 'The Whole Booke of Psalmes', an extensive collection in which ten composers participated. Coming to Elizabeth's attention could be called a success but he failed to acquire a position within her musical entourage. Meanwhile, Shakespeare's acting troupe, Lord Chamberlain’s Men, would perform numerously at the Queen's court in the nineties. Shakespeare probably became involved with this company upon its reorganization in 1594, contributing plays and limited acting. Shakespeare is thought to have written 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' for Elizabeth published in 1602.

Dowland applied with the Queen again in 1594 when a position as a lutenist became available. Not landing the job, he headed back to the Continent in 1595 to visit Luca Marenzio in Rome, which destination he never made and was back in England in 1596 to apply with Elizabeth a third time. Striking out again precipitated his path to becoming the crybaby of Elizabeth's gilded age when he that year published his instrumental 'Lacrime' ('Lachrimae Pavane') in William Barley's 'A New Book of Tabliture'. The pavane was a sober court dance of moderate to slower pace which emerged in the early 16th century to die out before the next. Barley's 1596 'A New Book of Tabliture for the Orpharion' contains several compositions by Dowland. The opharion is a string instrument related to the cittern originating during the Renaissance. Come Dowland's 'Firste Booke of Songes or Ayres' in 1597. To simplify things this page descends by publishing dates. Many of Dowland's pieces were authored much earlier than when they saw print, but I make no attempt to date compositions.

'Sweet Love Doth Now Invite' Song intended a 4 with lute by John Dowland

No.17 of 'The First Booke of Songs or Ayres' 1597

Tenor: William Ferguson Guitar: David Leisner Nov 2010

Albeit Dowland was highly popular in England he had difficulty acquiring a court position until Christian IV of Denmark hired him in 1598. Come Dowland's 'Second Booke of Songs or Ayres' in 1600 containing 'Flow My Tears', a lyricized version believed written by himself of his 1596 'Lachrimae Pavane'.

'Flow My Tears' Song composed for both a 2 and a 4 by John Dowland

No.2 of 'The Second Booke of Songs or Ayres' 1600

Soprano: Valeria Mignaco Lute: Alfonso Marin Amsterdam Feb 2010

Queen Elizabeth I died on 24 March 1603, the year he published 'The Third and Last Booke of Songs or Aires'.

'Weep You No More Sad Fountains' Song composed for both a 2 and a 4 by John Dowland

No.15 of 'The Third Booke of Songs or Ayres' 1603

Tenor: Paul Agnew Lute: Christopher Wilson

Dowland's 'Lachrimae, or Seaven Teares' were published by John Windet circa 1604/05 in which further pavane versions of his 'Lachrimae' were explored for viol and lute consort along w several galliards.

'Lachrimae pavanes' Set of 7 pavanes by John Dowland

No.1-7 of 'Lachrimae, or Seven Tears' 1604 or 05

Consortium Violae

'The Earl of Essex' Galliard by John Dowland

No.12 of 'Lachrimae, or Seven Tears' 1604 or 05

Consortium5

Released from service to Christian IV in 1606, Dowland returned to England where in 1609 he hired on with Lord Howard de Walden, during which time Thomas Adams included several of his songs in 'A Musical Banquet' of 1610. Dowland then prepared 'A Pilgrimes Solace' for publishing in 1612.

'In Darkness Let Me Dwell Song by John Dowland

No.10 of 'A Musical Banquet' 1610

Countertenor: Steven Rickards Lute: Dorothy Linell

It seems Dowland composed little after 'A Pilgrimes Solace', even as he finally arrived to appointment at the royal court of England upon hiring by James I in May of 1612. Shakespeare died four years later on 23 April 1616. Dowland followed a decade later, buried in London on 20 February 1626.

In summary, Chris Goodwin [below] cites five major recordings of compositions for lute by Dowland. The Consort of Musicke directed by Anthony Rooley issued volumes to completion in 1980, since reissued on CD. Generating the most attention among the five is Paul O’Dette's 'Complete Lute Works Volumes 1-5' of 1995-1997. This is a highly esteemed presentation of Dowland to considerable examination including a fifth CD addressing dubitable works. A smaller collection on one CD was recorded in Switzerland in 2004 by Hopkinson Smith titled 'A Dream'. Jakob Lindberg released 'Complete Lute Music' in 2008, followed in 2009 by 'Complete Lute Music' performed by Nigel North, the latter also creating a stir in the realms of lute by Dowland. "P" numbers cited by O'Dette below refer to 'The Collected Lute Music of John Dowland' published by Diana Poulton in 1974.