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The Collected Lute Music of John Dowland
This is a comprehensive and exhaustive collection of Dowland's compositions for the Lute, with critical commentaries, lists of sources and biographical notes, as thoroughly compiled and edited by Diana Poulton and Basil Lam.
The music is presented in both keyboard notation and Lute tablature.
The music is presented in both keyboard notation and Lute tablature.
343 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
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August 8, 2023
The Authors
The late Diana Poulton (1903–95) was the first Professor of Lute at the Royal College of Music, and in her lifetime was the recognized authority on Dowland.
Together with the biography John Dowland, this book represents the culmination of her life’s work. According to an article by Donna Curry (Diana Poulton: An Appreciation of Her Life): “[R]esearch was not an easy proposition before microfilm, photocopies, and reference books citing locations of MSS and first editions. Existence and location of music had to be found in library catalogs when obtainable. Copying had to be by hand in pencil. If music abroad were needed, it meant traveling there, ordering expensive photographs, or finding a local friend who would copy it. Diana’s hand copied music, books, documents, etc., filled stacks of notebooks.”
Basil Lam was a noted Early Music scholar who died in 1984, and was here responsible for the transcription into staff notation.
Contents
This book comprises all lute works by Dowland that were known at the time of its publication*. They are classified as follows:
Fantasies (7)
Pavans (11)
Galliards (28)
Almaines (8)
Jigs (5)
Song arrangements (1)
Settings of Ballad Tunes (10)
Pieces of uncertain ascription (17)
Other versions (16)
plus
Calendar of dates in the life of John Dowland
Biographical Notes
List of Sources
Editorial Notes
Index of Titles
Some pieces are presented in multiple versions. The numbering system used is now standard for these works. The published versions are the result of a great deal of cross-checking of sources, since misprints were very common.
Format
The pieces are presented in staff notation (bass and treble clefs), with French lute tablature below.
For guitarists, it’s easy to read the pieces for 6-course lute straight from the tablature. I also had no trouble copying the various voices from the staff notation into different layers of a single 8vb treble clef in Finale, and transposing the result down a minor third to produce guitar notation (3rd string to F#, of course).
Pieces for more than six courses present a problem, obviously. One solution is to make duets of them, in the manner of Presti/Lagoya or the Abreu Brothers.
Presentation
The book is printed on very good quality paper, and is approximately 9" x 12". It weighs nearly 3½ lb.
P.S. 2023: The portrait on the cover is Dama con liuto by Bartolomeo Veneto, 1520. You can see a colour version in his English Wikipedia entry (although not the Italian entry).
Summary
This is the definitive edition of Dowland’s lute music. Accept no other!
*The Fantasia P.71 has been attributed, possibly incorrectly, to Rosseter.
Update 2023: Erratum
A discussion on the Delcamp Classical Guitar forum has pointed out a typo in the staff notation for the Preludium P. 98: In bar 19, the last four notes should be B-G-A-F#, not B-A-G-F#. The tablature is correct.
Appendix: Detailed Contents List
OK, here is a complete contents list. Pieces asterisked appear (at a glance — no guarantees!) to be playable on a 7-course lute; those with a dagger 8-course; double dagger 9-course; all others 6-course.
(I have abridged some of the titles that are rather verbose.)
Fantasies
01) A Fantasie* & 1a) A Fantasie*
02) Forlorn Hope Fancy*
03) Farewell*
04) Farwell (An In Nomine)*
05) A Fancy*
06) A Fancy*
07) A Fancy*
Pavans
08) Piper’s Pavan
09) Semper Dowland Semper Dolens*
10) Solus Cum Sola
11) Mrs Brigide Fleetwood’s Pavan
12) Dr. Case’s Pavan*
13) Resolution*
14) Mr John Langton’s Pavan* & 14a) Sir John Langton’s Pavan*
15) Lachrimæ Pavan
16) A Pavan
17) Lady Russell’s Pavan*
18) A Pavan*
Galliards
19) Captain Digorie Piper’s Galliard
20) Dowland’s Galliard
21) John Dowland’s Galliard
22) Dowland’s First Galliard (6 or 7, as required)
23) The Frog Galliard & 23a) The Frog Galliard*
24) Galliard
25) Melancholie Galliard
26) Sir John Souch’s Galliard
27) A Galliard
28) A Galliard (on a Galliard of Daniel Bacheler)*
29) Giles Hobie’s Galliard
30) A Galliard*
31) A Galliard (on Walsingham)
32) Mrs. Vaux’s Galliard
33) Mr. Langton’s Galliard*
34) Mignarda
35) A Galliard
36) Mr. Knight’s Galliard*
37) My Lord Chamberlaine’s Galliard*
38) Lord d’Lisle's Galliard*
39) Round Battle Galliard
40) The King of Denmark’s Galliard*
41) Queen Elizabeth’s Galliard
42) Can She Excuse? & 42a) The Earl of Essex’s Galliard
43) Lady Rich’s Galliard* & 43a) Lady Rich’s Galliard
44) The Earl of Derby’s Galliard* & 44a) The Earl of Derby’s Galliard*
45) Lady Clifton’s Spirit*
46) Galliard to Lachrimæ†
Almaines
47) Sir John Smith’s Almaine* & 47a) Smythe’s Almaine*
48) Lady Laiton’s Almaine & 48a) Lady Laiton’s Almaine*
49) An Almaine
50) Mistris Whittes Thinge
51) A Piece Without Title*
52) Mrs Nichols’s Almaine
53) Mrs Clifton’s Almaine*
54) My Lady Hunsdon’s Puffe*
Jigs Etc.
55) Mrs Winter’s Jump
56) Mrs White’s Nothinge
57) Mrs Vaux’s Gigge*
58) The Shoemaker’s Wife*
59) Tarleton’s Resurrection
Song Arrangement
60) Come Away*
Settings of Ballad Tunes
61) Orlando Sleepeth
62) Fortune My Foe†
63) Complaint
64) Go from My Window
65) Lord Strang’s March
66) My Lord Willoughby’s Welcome Home & 66a) My Lord Willoughby’s Welcome Home
67) Walsingham*
68) Aloe
69) Loth to Depart*
70) Bonny Sweet Robin
Pieces of Uncertain Ascription
71) A Fantasia*
72) A Fancy*
73) A Fancy*
74) A Fancy*
75) A Dream (Lady Leighton’s Paven)
76) A Galliard*
77) Mrs. Norrish’s Delight*
78) A Piece Without Title
79) What If A Day
80) A Coye Joye
81) Tarleton’s Jig
82) A Galliard
83) Dowland’s Galliard*
84) Hasellwood’s Galliard
85) Galliarda Dulandi 39
86) Pavana Dulandi†
87) Galliarda Dulandi 8*
Other Versions
88) Piper’s Galliard*
89) Can She Excuse?*
90) The Frog Galliard*
91) Suzanna Galliard
92) Galliard Fr. Cutting*
From the Schele MS
93) Del Excellentissimo Musico Jano Dulando‡
94) Pavana Johan Douland‡
95) La Mia Barbara†
From the Margaret Board Lute Book
96) An Almand*
97) The Queen’s Galliard‡
98) Preludium*
99) Mr. Dowland’s Midnight*
100) Coranto‡
From the Hainhofer MS (in Italian tablature)
101) Phantasia
102) Preambulum*
103) Gagliarda*
The late Diana Poulton (1903–95) was the first Professor of Lute at the Royal College of Music, and in her lifetime was the recognized authority on Dowland.
Together with the biography John Dowland, this book represents the culmination of her life’s work. According to an article by Donna Curry (Diana Poulton: An Appreciation of Her Life): “[R]esearch was not an easy proposition before microfilm, photocopies, and reference books citing locations of MSS and first editions. Existence and location of music had to be found in library catalogs when obtainable. Copying had to be by hand in pencil. If music abroad were needed, it meant traveling there, ordering expensive photographs, or finding a local friend who would copy it. Diana’s hand copied music, books, documents, etc., filled stacks of notebooks.”
Basil Lam was a noted Early Music scholar who died in 1984, and was here responsible for the transcription into staff notation.
Contents
This book comprises all lute works by Dowland that were known at the time of its publication*. They are classified as follows:
Fantasies (7)
Pavans (11)
Galliards (28)
Almaines (8)
Jigs (5)
Song arrangements (1)
Settings of Ballad Tunes (10)
Pieces of uncertain ascription (17)
Other versions (16)
plus
Calendar of dates in the life of John Dowland
Biographical Notes
List of Sources
Editorial Notes
Index of Titles
Some pieces are presented in multiple versions. The numbering system used is now standard for these works. The published versions are the result of a great deal of cross-checking of sources, since misprints were very common.
Format
The pieces are presented in staff notation (bass and treble clefs), with French lute tablature below.
For guitarists, it’s easy to read the pieces for 6-course lute straight from the tablature. I also had no trouble copying the various voices from the staff notation into different layers of a single 8vb treble clef in Finale, and transposing the result down a minor third to produce guitar notation (3rd string to F#, of course).
Pieces for more than six courses present a problem, obviously. One solution is to make duets of them, in the manner of Presti/Lagoya or the Abreu Brothers.
Presentation
The book is printed on very good quality paper, and is approximately 9" x 12". It weighs nearly 3½ lb.
P.S. 2023: The portrait on the cover is Dama con liuto by Bartolomeo Veneto, 1520. You can see a colour version in his English Wikipedia entry (although not the Italian entry).
Summary
This is the definitive edition of Dowland’s lute music. Accept no other!
*The Fantasia P.71 has been attributed, possibly incorrectly, to Rosseter.
Update 2023: Erratum
A discussion on the Delcamp Classical Guitar forum has pointed out a typo in the staff notation for the Preludium P. 98: In bar 19, the last four notes should be B-G-A-F#, not B-A-G-F#. The tablature is correct.
Appendix: Detailed Contents List
OK, here is a complete contents list. Pieces asterisked appear (at a glance — no guarantees!) to be playable on a 7-course lute; those with a dagger 8-course; double dagger 9-course; all others 6-course.
(I have abridged some of the titles that are rather verbose.)
Fantasies
01) A Fantasie* & 1a) A Fantasie*
02) Forlorn Hope Fancy*
03) Farewell*
04) Farwell (An In Nomine)*
05) A Fancy*
06) A Fancy*
07) A Fancy*
Pavans
08) Piper’s Pavan
09) Semper Dowland Semper Dolens*
10) Solus Cum Sola
11) Mrs Brigide Fleetwood’s Pavan
12) Dr. Case’s Pavan*
13) Resolution*
14) Mr John Langton’s Pavan* & 14a) Sir John Langton’s Pavan*
15) Lachrimæ Pavan
16) A Pavan
17) Lady Russell’s Pavan*
18) A Pavan*
Galliards
19) Captain Digorie Piper’s Galliard
20) Dowland’s Galliard
21) John Dowland’s Galliard
22) Dowland’s First Galliard (6 or 7, as required)
23) The Frog Galliard & 23a) The Frog Galliard*
24) Galliard
25) Melancholie Galliard
26) Sir John Souch’s Galliard
27) A Galliard
28) A Galliard (on a Galliard of Daniel Bacheler)*
29) Giles Hobie’s Galliard
30) A Galliard*
31) A Galliard (on Walsingham)
32) Mrs. Vaux’s Galliard
33) Mr. Langton’s Galliard*
34) Mignarda
35) A Galliard
36) Mr. Knight’s Galliard*
37) My Lord Chamberlaine’s Galliard*
38) Lord d’Lisle's Galliard*
39) Round Battle Galliard
40) The King of Denmark’s Galliard*
41) Queen Elizabeth’s Galliard
42) Can She Excuse? & 42a) The Earl of Essex’s Galliard
43) Lady Rich’s Galliard* & 43a) Lady Rich’s Galliard
44) The Earl of Derby’s Galliard* & 44a) The Earl of Derby’s Galliard*
45) Lady Clifton’s Spirit*
46) Galliard to Lachrimæ†
Almaines
47) Sir John Smith’s Almaine* & 47a) Smythe’s Almaine*
48) Lady Laiton’s Almaine & 48a) Lady Laiton’s Almaine*
49) An Almaine
50) Mistris Whittes Thinge
51) A Piece Without Title*
52) Mrs Nichols’s Almaine
53) Mrs Clifton’s Almaine*
54) My Lady Hunsdon’s Puffe*
Jigs Etc.
55) Mrs Winter’s Jump
56) Mrs White’s Nothinge
57) Mrs Vaux’s Gigge*
58) The Shoemaker’s Wife*
59) Tarleton’s Resurrection
Song Arrangement
60) Come Away*
Settings of Ballad Tunes
61) Orlando Sleepeth
62) Fortune My Foe†
63) Complaint
64) Go from My Window
65) Lord Strang’s March
66) My Lord Willoughby’s Welcome Home & 66a) My Lord Willoughby’s Welcome Home
67) Walsingham*
68) Aloe
69) Loth to Depart*
70) Bonny Sweet Robin
Pieces of Uncertain Ascription
71) A Fantasia*
72) A Fancy*
73) A Fancy*
74) A Fancy*
75) A Dream (Lady Leighton’s Paven)
76) A Galliard*
77) Mrs. Norrish’s Delight*
78) A Piece Without Title
79) What If A Day
80) A Coye Joye
81) Tarleton’s Jig
82) A Galliard
83) Dowland’s Galliard*
84) Hasellwood’s Galliard
85) Galliarda Dulandi 39
86) Pavana Dulandi†
87) Galliarda Dulandi 8*
Other Versions
88) Piper’s Galliard*
89) Can She Excuse?*
90) The Frog Galliard*
91) Suzanna Galliard
92) Galliard Fr. Cutting*
From the Schele MS
93) Del Excellentissimo Musico Jano Dulando‡
94) Pavana Johan Douland‡
95) La Mia Barbara†
From the Margaret Board Lute Book
96) An Almand*
97) The Queen’s Galliard‡
98) Preludium*
99) Mr. Dowland’s Midnight*
100) Coranto‡
From the Hainhofer MS (in Italian tablature)
101) Phantasia
102) Preambulum*
103) Gagliarda*
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