Page 59 - (DK) The Classical Music Book - Big Ideas Simply Explained

RENAISSANCE 1400–1600 57

See also: Le jeu de Robin et de Marion 32–35 ■ Gabrieli’s Sonata pian’ e forte 55 ■ Le bourgeois gentilhomme 70–71 ■
Stamitz’s Symphony in E-flat major 116–117

Renaissance consort instruments,
including the lute and strings, are
shown in Hearing (c.1617–1618), a
collaboration between Jan Brueghel
the Elder and Paul Rubens.

(1604) develops the composer’s
own Lachrimae pavan (a dance
with stately music often treated to
instrumental elaboration) to create
seven melancholy variations, scored
for a string ensemble with solo lute.
Renaissance ensembles usually
comprised consorts of the same
instrument, but Dowland imagined
for his Lachrimae pavans either six
viols or six violins, including the
bass violin, forerunner of the cello.
The 16th-century lute at first had a lute with nine courses. England Dances like the pavan and the
six courses (a single string for the excelled in the new style of lute triple-time galliard were used by
highest note, then five pairs of playing, which was also popular keyboard players and composers
strings tuned in unison or octaves), with amateur players, including to show their skill at improvisation,
then gained extra courses in the Elizabeth I, who is shown playing usually playing “divisions”
bass called diapasons, tuned the instrument in a miniature (variations) on the repeat of a
diatonically (by steps of one tone). painted by Nicholas Hilliard. section. My Ladye Nevells Booke
Dowland composed around (1591) by the English composer
The English connection 90 works for the lute alone but also William Byrd contains 10 pavan—
By the turn of the 17th century, incorporated the instrument into galliard pairs with variations for
John Dowland was one of a number a wider ensemble, known as a the virginal, an instrument related
of composers who were writing for consort. His collection Lachrimae to the harpsichord. ■

John Dowland It has been variously claimed Although his son, the composer
that Dowland was born in 1563 in and lutenist Robert Dowland,
Westminster (London) or Dalkey described his father in 1610 as
(Ireland), and his early life remains “being now gray, and like the
obscure. He spent his late teens in Swan, but singing toward his
service to the English ambassador end,” Dowland was, within two
in France, where he embraced years, made one of the lutenists
Catholicism, later claiming that of King James I of England
this conversion prevented his and Scotland. Between that
appointment as lutenist at the appointment and his death, in
English royal court in 1594. 1625, few compositions survive.
Dowland then set off for three
years on a European tour, before Other key works
finding an appreciative patron
in Christian IV of Denmark. The 1597 Firste Booke of Songes
relationship later soured, and or Ayres
Dowland was dismissed in 1606. 1612 A Pilgrim’s Solace

US_056-057_John_Dowland.indd 57 26/03/18 1:00 PM