Windsync - Time Stands Still -Lute Songs by Dowland & Danyel : Kieran White(T)Cedric Meyer(Lute) - Import CD

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Windsync

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Dowland & Daniel: 400th Anniversary Commemoration! Tenor and Lute Invite You to the Beautiful World of Lute Songs For over 400 years, 16th- and 17th-century English lute songs have captivated audiences with lyrics chronicling love and despair, set to melancholic melodies. John Dowland stands as the quintessential composer of this genre, where music and poetry, voice and lute, fuse with exquisite beauty. Surprisingly, given his modern fame, Dowland's musical career was not smooth sailing. Initially unable to secure employment in England, he traveled through various Italian cities and Germany. It wasn't until 1598 that he found work as a lutenist at the court of King Christian IV of Denmark. After working there for about eight years, he finally returned to England in 1606. It took until 1612 for him to secure the position of lutenist to King James I. The four songbooks published during his lifetime gained acclaim throughout Europe. Particularly, "Flow, My Tears," included in the second volume, sparked an unprecedented craze, inspiring numerous works based on its melody across many countries.Dowland's music continues to captivate modern audiences, transcending the classical music world to enchant singers and listeners alike—from rock vocalists performing his works to adaptations in popular music. Meanwhile, John Daniel, who lived during Dowland's time, is not particularly well-known even in his native England. While he seems to have consistently held stable positions within the English royal court, such as serving Charles I, he was reluctant to publish his works, and the scarcity of surviving pieces appears to be one reason for this obscurity. However, the surviving works are mostly of high quality. His songs, which he aimed to make "pictures in music," are truly outstanding compositions that paint the imagery contained within poetry through music. Marking the 400th anniversary of their passing, two great lute song composers who lived in the same era and died in the same year are celebrated by the young British tenor Kieran White and the lute player Cédric Meyer, who has Swiss and French heritage. This recording features a well-balanced selection of masterpieces by both composers, including Dowland's representative works "Flow, My Tears" and "Time Stands Still," and Daniel's masterpiece "The Widow M.E.'s Tears at Her Late Husband's Funeral."In this recording, the pieces have been transposed a whole tone higher than the original key to showcase White's higher vocal range, a "pure and brilliant voice" (The Guardian) that has captivated audiences across Europe and America's early music scene. Meyer plays an instrument he crafted based on an extant 1592 Italian lute. White's beautiful voice, carefully singing the rhythms of the English poetry, blends with the elegant tone of Meyer's lute, creating an exceptionally beautiful sound. This is an ideal recording to deeply appreciate the pinnacle of English lute songs—works that have captivated audiences for over 400 years—through the beautiful harmony of tenor and lute. Naxos Japan