John Dowland - Lachrimae, or Seven Tears - 20. Mistress Nichols Almand
Channel: Classical Music
Date: 2022-10-01

Music from Renaissance period

🎵 Lachrimae, or Seven Tears - 20. Mistress Nichols Almand
🧑 Composer: John Dowland
🎶 Form: Galliard
👨 Performer: I Solipsisti
⌛  Period: Renaissance

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'Lachrimæ, or Seaven Teares' is a collection of instrumental music composed by John Dowland, and first published by John Windet in London in 1604. During that time, Download was in the employment of Christian IV of Denmark, acting as a lutenist. The publication was dedicated to Anne of Denmark. The pieces are scored for five viols or violins and a lute. The main group of pieces consists of seven pavanes, variations on the Lachrimae pavan which Dowland had already made well known as a lute solo and a song. It begins with a "falling tear" motif of four notes. There are also several other compositions in the collection, including some galliards, and other music that contrasts with the sombre style of the pavans. The complete title page reads: 'Lachrimæ, or Seaven Teares figured in seaven passionate pavans, with divers other pavans, galliards and allemands, set forth for the lute, viols, or violons, in five parts is a collection of instrumental music written for five viols, or violins (that is, members of the violin family) and lute composed by John Dowland.'

John Dowland
Born: 1563
Died: 20th February 1626, London, England

John Dowland was an English Renaissance composer, singer, and lutenist. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep" (the basis for Benjamin Britten's Nocturnal), "Come again", "Flow my tears", "I saw my Lady weepe" and "In darkness let me dwell", but his instrumental music has undergone a major revival, and with the 20th century's Early Music Revival has been a continuing source of repertoire for lutenists and classical guitarists.

Two major influences on Dowland's music were the popular consort songs, and the dance music of the day. Most of Dowland's music is for his own instrument, the lute. It includes several books of solo lute works, lute songs (for one voice and lute), part-songs with lute accompaniment, and several pieces for viol consort with lute. The poet Richard Barnfield wrote that Dowland's "heavenly touch upon the lute doth ravish human sense."
One of his better known works is the lute song "Flow my tears".
He later wrote what is probably his best known instrumental work, Lachrimae, or Seaven Teares, Figured in Seaven Passionate Pavans, a set of seven pavanes for five viols and lute, each based on the theme derived from the lute song "Flow my tears". It became one of the best known collections of consort music in his time. His pavane, "Lachrymae antiquae", was also popular in the seventeenth century, and was arranged and used as a theme for variations by many composers. He wrote a lute version of the popular ballad "My Lord Willoughby's Welcome Home".
Dowland's music often displays the melancholia that was so fashionable in music at that time. He wrote a consort piece with the punning title "Semper Dowland, semper dolens" (always Dowland, always doleful), which may be said to sum up much of his work.

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