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| Composers Biography - Languages - |  |
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John Dowland
[ Life | Works | Photo Gallery | Home Page] |
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| Little is known of this Irish (or English) composer’s early life. He was probably born in London. He attained his fame by his excellent lute playing, although he was rejected by Elizabeth I as a court musician because he was allegedly a Catholic. - MIDI FILE - Fantasie (3'20'') He travelled widely in Europe and, in 1598, he was appointed lutenist at the court of Christian IV of Denmark. - MIDI FILE - A shepherd in a shade (1'03'') He was forced by debt to return to England in 1606 and eventually he was made one of the King's musicians in 1612. Dowland was a composer of church, instrumental and secular vocal music, in particular of one of the best known songs of the period, "Flow my Teares". He himself provided an apt pun on his own name - Dowland, semper dolens (Dowland, always grieving) - although he had a reputation as a cheerful man. He is widely regarded today as an important figure in the development of lutine harmonies. 
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Dowland was above all the composer of lute-songs, publishing his first collection of airs in 1597, followed by a second in 1600 and a third in 1603. He left over eighty secular songs and these include Come again: sweet love doth now endite, Fine knacks for ladies and Flow my teares, among many others of moving intensity. - MIDI FILE - "Come again" (0'46'') For the lute Dowland wrote Fantasias, and dance-movements, including Pavanes, Galliards, Almains and Jigs. The best known of Dowland's instrumental compositions is his famous Lachrymae or Seven Teares, for five viols and lute. - MIDI FILE - "Lachrimae" (2'43'') This work includes a number of dance-movements, chiefly Galliards, and solemn Pavanes, using the familiar theme from the lute-song Flow my Teares.
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