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John
DOWLAND (1563-1626) Lute Music - Volume 3: Pavans, Galliards and
Almains Solus cum sola, P. 10 [4:40]
Melancholy Galliard, P. 25 [2:37]
Sir John Smith, his Almain, P. 47 [2:37]
The Lady Russell's Pavan, P. 17 [4:55]
Dowland's Bells, P. 43a, "The Lady Rich's Galliard" [1:55]
The Lady Laiton's Almain, P. 48 [1:22]
Mrs Brigide Fleetwood's Pavan, P. 11, "Solus sine sola" [5:47]
Mr Knight's Galliard, P. 36 [1:52]
Mrs Clifton's Almain, P. 53 [1:25]
Dr Case's Pavan, P. 12 [4:18]
The Right Honourable the Lord Viscount Lisle, his Galliard, P. 91, "Sir
Robert Sidney's Galliard" [2:39]
Sir Henry Guilforde, his Almain [2:10]
Pavana Doulant [3:26]
The Earl of Derby's Galliard, P. 44 [2:30]
Almain in D major, P. 51 [2:37]
La mia Barbara, P. 95 [5:50]
Round Battle Galliard, P. 39 [2:50]
Almain in G major, P. 49 [1:24]
Pavan in C minor, P. 94, "Pavana Johan Douland" [7:00]
Galliard (on a galliard by Daniel Bacheler) [2:50]
Almain in C minor, P. 96 [1:37]
Nigel North (lute)
rec. St John Chrysostom Church, Newmarket, Ontario, June–July 2006 NAXOS 8.570449 [66:22]
Volume
three of Nigel North’s Dowland lute series spins a delightful
surprise. The three principal Elizabethan dances – Pavan, Galliard
and Almain – are here arranged in suites. Whilst his 1604 Lachrimae contained
all three dances this collection was written for viol consort
and lute, not solo lute. Once again North is armed with his
nine course 2005 lute, tuned to a’= 400. And as before in this
series he proves a wonderfully astute and perceptive guide to
the repertoire.
Beyond
simply questions of shifting and digital command – these are
prerequisites that needn’t concern us as North is so accomplished
a player – lies the sheer tonal warmth of his playing. Solus
cum sola may have the very occasioanly audible squeak but
it’s almost an invariable corollory and is greatly outweighted
by the sheer burnished roundness of his tone in a reading that
explores its melancholic introspection. Then too we find North
enjoying, and making us enjoy, the sprighty and engaging dialogue
of Sir John Smith, his Almain. It happens to be an ingenious
variation – in effect – but it takes someone such as North to
explore its fecundity and fluency of invention.
North
has included some especially stately Pavanes here, none more
so than The Lady Russell’s Pavan, P. 17, which forms
the opening of the second “suite” he has so cannily constructed.
To close the suite we have the songful vibrancy of the brief The
Lady Laiton's Almain. Additionally we find that North’s
editorial work has borne fruit. He has edited Pavana Doulant to
sit more comfortably in Dowland’s style by omitting divisions
that seem to him to be by the German Johannes Mylius and by “prudently
editing the three basic sections.” The result certainly sounds
utterly authentic. The Almain P.51 is another problematic piece,
which North speculates may be an arrangement of a consort piece – though
not necessarily even by Dowland since it sits awkwardly. Some
tweaking in respect of tonality ensures that we can hear it
in better light.
The
martial rhythms of The Battle Galliard resound splendidly
and unprobelematically – one pleasure of this recital is to
hear the full range of sonorities North can evoke, as in the
resounding lower strings of the previously cited Almain. Pavana
Johan Douland is the single longest piece – eloquent indeed
in this performance, indeed rivetting in its concentration and
control.
The
high standards set in this series thus far – playing, editorial
work, recording, notes – have been outstandingly maintained
here.
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