JOHN DOWLAND : Lute Music 1 • Fancyes, Dreams And Spirits (Nigel North) (2006) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The pre-eminent lutenist of his day, John Dowland was an almost exact contemporary of William Shakespeare. This first volume of his complete lute music, which comprises about one hundred solo pieces, includes the 7 Fantasies (or Fancyes), free-form, improvisatory works in which the composer gives free rein to his fertile imagination and wonderful melodic gift. NAXOS
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JOHN DOWLAND (1563-1626)

1    Lord Strange's March    1:40
2    Mrs. White's Thing    2:14
3    Mrs. White's Nothing    1:19
4    'Tremolo' Fancy (P73)    3:27
5    Mrs. Nichols' Almain    1:34
6    A Fantasie (Fantasie No. 1)    4:27
7    Preludium    1:06
8    A Fancy (Fantasie No. 5)    2:37
9    A Dream    5:05
10    A Fancy (Fantasie No. 7)    5:02
11    Mrs. Winter's Jump    1:40
12    Lady Clifton's Spirit    1:48
13    Mrs. Vaux's Galliard    2:27
14    Mrs. Vaux's Jig    1:16
15    Turleton's Riserrectione    2:55
16    A Fancy (Fantasie No. 6)    3:00
17    Forlorn Hope Fancy (Fantasie No. 2)    3:52
18    The Shoemaker's Wife (A Toy)    1:14
19    Lady Hunsdon's Puffe    1:50
20    Orlando Sleepeth    2:55
21    Mr. Dowland's Midnight    1:56
22    Farewell 'In Nomine' (Fantasie No. 4)    4:34
23    Farewell (Fantasie No. 3)    6:41

Lute – Nigel North

JOHN DOWLAND : Lute Music 2 • Dowland's Tears (Nigel North) (2006) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The pre-eminent lutenist of his day, John Dowland was an almost exact contemporary of William Shakespeare. This second volume of his complete lute music (Volume One is available on Naxos 8.557586) includes perhaps his best-known work, the Lachrimae Pavan. This melancholic work became the most popular pavan of its age, a model for all pavans and was a central piece in the Elizabethan lute repertoire. The closing pavan based on the composer’s motto Semper Dowland Semper Dolens (Dowland is always doleful) is full of exquisitely restless harmonies and quotations from the composer’s songs. NAXOS
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JOHN DOWLAND (1563-1626)

1    Lord Strange's March    1:40
2    Mrs. White's Thing    2:14
3    Mrs. White's Nothing    1:19
4    'Tremolo' Fancy (P73)    3:27
5    Mrs. Nichols' Almain    1:34
6    A Fantasie (Fantasie No. 1)    4:27
7    Preludium    1:06
8    A Fancy (Fantasie No. 5)    2:37
9    A Dream    5:05
10    A Fancy (Fantasie No. 7)    5:02
11    Mrs. Winter's Jump    1:40
12    Lady Clifton's Spirit    1:48
13    Mrs. Vaux's Galliard    2:27
14    Mrs. Vaux's Jig    1:16
15    Turleton's Riserrectione    2:55
16    A Fancy (Fantasie No. 6)    3:00
17    Forlorn Hope Fancy (Fantasie No. 2)    3:52
18    The Shoemaker's Wife (A Toy)    1:14
19    Lady Hunsdon's Puffe    1:50
20    Orlando Sleepeth    2:55
21    Mr. Dowland's Midnight    1:56
22    Farewell 'In Nomine' (Fantasie No. 4)    4:34
23    Farewell (Fantasie No. 3)    6:41

Lute – Nigel North

JOHN DOWLAND : Lute Music 3 • Pavans, Galliards And Almains (Nigel North) (2007) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The pre-eminent lutenist of his day, John Dowland was an almost exact contemporary of William Shakespeare. This third volume of Dowland’s Lute Music (Volumes 1 and 2 are available on Naxos 8.557586 and 8.557862) explores the three principal dances of the time, Pavans, Galliards and Almains. Of particular note are the strikingly unusual Galliard on a Galliard of Bachelar, which takes the opening four bars of an original dance by Dowland’s contemporary Daniel Bachelar and then branches off into its own world of great variety and fantasy, and the beautiful and serious “Pavana Doulant”, a work written from the very heart of the composer known as the ‘English Orpheus’. NAXOS
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JOHN DOWLAND (1563-1626)

1    Pavan "Solus Cum Sola"    4:40
2    Melancholy Galliard    2:37
3    Sir John Smith, His Almain    2:37
4    The Lady Russell's Pavan    4:55
5    Lady Rich, Her Galliard    1:55
6    The Lady Laiton's Almain    1:22
7    Pavan "Solus Sine Sola"    5:47
8    Mr Knight's Galliard    1:52
9    Mrs Clifton's Almain    1:25
10    Dr Case's Pavan    4:18
11    Sir Robert Sidney, His Galliard    2:39
12    Sir Henry Guilforde, His Almain    2:10
13    "Pavan Doulant" (Pub. Mylius, Frankfurt 1622)    3:26
14    The Earl Of Derby, His Galliard    2:30
15    Almain, P.51    2:37
16    Pavan "La Mia Barbara"    5:50
17    The Battle Galliard    2:50
18    Almain, P.49    1:24
19    "Pavana Johan Douland" (Schele Ms.)    7:00
20    Galliard On A Galliard Of Bachelar    2:50
21    Almain (Margaret Board Lute Ms.)    1:37

Lute – Nigel North

JOHN DOWLAND : Lute Music 4 • The Queen's Galliards (Nigel North) (2009) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Nigel North’s Dowland Lute Edition has gained him a garland of critical accolades: “A collector’s item” (The Times on Vol 1, 8.557586), “a remarkable performance of wonderful music” (American Record Guide on Vol 2, 8.557862), “North’s sweet-toned playing is both unfailingly musical and highly imaginative” (Gramophone on Vol 3, 8.570449), “Nigel North’s Dowland cycle sets a new benchmark” (5 STARS, BBC Music Magazine). On this fourth and final volume, North presents a selection of dances and songs by the composer celebrated as the ‘English Orpheus’. NAXOS
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JOHN DOWLAND (1563-1626)

1    Queen Elizabeth, Her Galliard    1:22
2    The Queen's Galliard, P. 97    1:44
3    Dowland's First Galliard    2:13
4    John Dowland's Galliard, P. 21    1:16
5    Complaint, P. 63    1:22
6    The Frog Galliard    2:02
7    Aloe    3:15
8    Galliard On Walsingham    2:04
9    Walsingham    4:50
10    Coranto    1:48
11    Galliard, P. 27    1:55
12    Come Again Sweet Love, P. 60 (New Version By Nigel North) 2:25
13    Sir John Souch's Galliard 1:42
14    Go From My Window    4:04
15    Galliard: Awake Sweet Love, P. 24    1:21
16    Galliard: Awake Sweet Love (New Version By Nigel North)    2:38
17    What If A Day    1:43
18    Galliard, P. 35    1:49
19    Lord Willoughby's Welcome Home    1:30
20    Galliard: Can She Excuse    1:53
21    Robin    3:42
22    Fortune My Foe    2:33
23    Loth To Depart    6:26
24    Galliard, P. 20    1:36
25    The King Of Denmark's Galliard    3:05

Lute – Nigel North