Fortune my Foe - Songs of John Dowland
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: John Dowland
Label: Classics
Magazine Review Date: 7/1993
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 68
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: 37170-2
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| (The) First Book of Songs or Ayres, Movement: Now, O now I needs must part (= The Frog Galliard) |
John Dowland, Composer
Echos Muse John Dowland, Composer |
| (The) First Book of Songs or Ayres, Movement: Thinkst thou then by thy fainting |
John Dowland, Composer
Echos Muse John Dowland, Composer |
| (The) First Book of Songs or Ayres, Movement: Come away, come sweet loue |
John Dowland, Composer
Echos Muse John Dowland, Composer |
| (The) First Book of Songs or Ayres, Movement: Come heauy sleepe |
John Dowland, Composer
Echos Muse John Dowland, Composer |
| (The) First Book of Songs or Ayres, Movement: Awaie with these selfe louing lads |
John Dowland, Composer
Echos Muse John Dowland, Composer |
| (The) Second Booke of Songs or Ayres, Movement: I saw my Lady weepe |
John Dowland, Composer
Echos Muse John Dowland, Composer |
| (The) Second Booke of Songs or Ayres, Movement: Flow my teares fall from your springs |
John Dowland, Composer
Echos Muse John Dowland, Composer |
| (The) Second Booke of Songs or Ayres, Movement: Sorrow sorrow stay, lend true repentant teares |
John Dowland, Composer
Echos Muse John Dowland, Composer |
| (The) Second Booke of Songs or Ayres, Movement: Now cease my wandring eyes |
John Dowland, Composer
Echos Muse John Dowland, Composer |
| (The) Second Booke of Songs or Ayres, Movement: A Sheperd in a shade his plaining made |
John Dowland, Composer
Echos Muse John Dowland, Composer |
| (The) Third and Last Book of Songs or Aires, Movement: Say loue if euer thou didst finde |
John Dowland, Composer
Echos Muse John Dowland, Composer |
| (The) Third and Last Book of Songs or Aires, Movement: Flow not so fast ye fountaines |
John Dowland, Composer
Echos Muse John Dowland, Composer |
| (The) Third and Last Book of Songs or Aires, Movement: Weepe you no more sad fountaines |
John Dowland, Composer
Echos Muse John Dowland, Composer |
| (The) Third and Last Book of Songs or Aires, Movement: The lowest trees haue tops |
John Dowland, Composer
Echos Muse John Dowland, Composer |
| (A) Pilgrimes Solace, Movement: Sweete stay a while, why will you? |
John Dowland, Composer
Echos Muse John Dowland, Composer |
| (A) Pilgrimes Solace, Movement: From silent night, true register of moanes |
John Dowland, Composer
Echos Muse John Dowland, Composer |
| Lady if you so spight me |
John Dowland, Composer
Echos Muse John Dowland, Composer |
| In darknesse let mee dwell |
John Dowland, Composer
Echos Muse John Dowland, Composer |
| Settings of Ballads and Other Popular Tunes, Movement: Fortune my foe, P62 |
John Dowland, Composer
David Tayler, Lute John Dowland, Composer |
Author: Jonathan Freeman-Attwood
Compilations can create complications in Dowland unless one senses a raison d'etre for the choice of songs, the order of keys and mood, and decisions about scoring. From each of the four published collections (excluding the three pieces collected by Dowland's son Robert in ''A Musicall Banquet''), the Anglo-American Echos Muse have taken four or five songs with melancholy as the recital's main emblem. It is hardly an imposition to endure two main blocks of weltschmerz from Dowland's wonderful oeuvre, but the readings here rarely match the versatile, pleading performances of Emma Kirkby and Anthony Rooley on Virgin Classics, to name but one example. Janet Humberger's Sorrow, sor-row stay contains little of Kirkby's poise, subtle shaping and variety of colour. Nothing can contravene Dowland's meticulous control of melody and verse more than languid vowels and unsteady intonation.
Paul Elliot's performances are considerably more focused, especially in the brisker songs such as Thinkst thou then where his cultivated timbre and gentle embellishments furnish the text vividly with an acute sense of verbal rhythm. I wish Elliot had included more of these breezy, youthful songs (possibly from ''The First Booke'') rather than the slower, more serious utterances which draw attention to moments of monochrome tone, mainly evident in long notes. Despite some beautiful instrumental playing and imaginative scoring, the inconsistent vocal contributions are neither exquisite nor sufficiently ravishing to carry the full weight of Dowland's concentrated style, let alone to justify recommendation. The documentation leaves much to be desired. No texts included.'
Paul Elliot's performances are considerably more focused, especially in the brisker songs such as Thinkst thou then where his cultivated timbre and gentle embellishments furnish the text vividly with an acute sense of verbal rhythm. I wish Elliot had included more of these breezy, youthful songs (possibly from ''The First Booke'') rather than the slower, more serious utterances which draw attention to moments of monochrome tone, mainly evident in long notes. Despite some beautiful instrumental playing and imaginative scoring, the inconsistent vocal contributions are neither exquisite nor sufficiently ravishing to carry the full weight of Dowland's concentrated style, let alone to justify recommendation. The documentation leaves much to be desired. No texts included.'
Fortune my Foe - Songs of John Dowland
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