John Dowland (1562-1626)
Weep you no more, pour voix et guitare
Galliarde en si mineur
Lord Strang's March
What if I never speed?, pour voix et guitare
Sir John, His Almaine
The Frog Galliard
Flow my tears, pour voix et guitare
Mr Dowland's Midnight
Mrs White's Nothinge
Come again, pour voix et guitare
Galliarde en mi mineur
Lady Laiton's Almaine
Go crystal tears, pour voix et guitare
The right Honourable the Lady Rich, her Galliard
Lady Hunsdon's Puffe Almaine
Now, o now, I needs must part, pour voix et guitare
Mrs Winter's Jump
Tarleton's Riserrectione
If my complaints could passions, pour voix et guitare
Orlando sleepeth
Galliarde en la
My toughts are wing'd with hopes, pour voix et guitare
My Lord Chamberlain, His Galliard, pour 2 guitares
My Lord Willoughby's Wlecome, pour 2 guitares

Siphiwe McKenzie, soprano
Adriano Sebastiani, guitare classique
Riccardo Bini, guitare classique

Les œuvres rassemblées ici sont issues de trois publications de respectivement 1597, 1600 et 1602 dont est tiré un florilège d’opus pour luth retranscrits pour une ou deux guitares classiques complétés de chants pour jusqu’à quatre solistes et luth retranscrits pour soprano et guitare. On appréciera spécialement les pièces pour guitare(s) rendant bien compte de la virtuosité recherchée originellement au luth et supportant bien le difficile exercice de la transcription. Les interprétations des guitaristes italiens Adriano Sebastiani et Riccardo Bini n’appellent que des éloges pour leur retenue doublée d’une solide technique. On sera en revanche beaucoup plus sévère pour les chants où intervient la soprano australienne Siphiwe McKenzie. Habituée aux scènes d’opéra, elle semble totalement empêtrée dans un exercice réclamant peu ou pas de vibrato et une ligne de chant aussi posée que souvent piégeuse. Les fausses notes, surprenantes à son niveau, sont légion et les tenues défaillantes font de chacune de ses apparitions un véritable et irrémédiable inconfort. (Thierry Jacques Collet)

Renowned in his own time as a precociously adept diplomat – maybe spy – in the service of the English aristocracy, working across the Catholic - Protestant divide, John Dowland was appointed lutenist at the court of Christian IV of Denmark, a post that he held for eight years. A further six years later, in 1612, he finally secured the post as lutenist at the court of James I, a highly prestigious position that he had unsuccessfully applied for in 1594, during the reign of Elizabeth I. In 1621 he was awarded the title of “Doctor of Musicke” , and died five years later. His songs and airs, for lute with and without voices, date from this last quarter - century of his career. They were lucratively published in several books during this period, when his fame spread throughout Europe as the finest lutenist of his generation. He is one of England’s greatest song composers, to be ranked with Purcell and Britten. He effectively created the English type of lute - song, synthesizing elements from the broadside ballad, dance music, the consort song and the madrigal. The selection on this disc is drawn from the first three books. The first of them is the least adventurous, scored originally for four voices and lute, and laid out in simple strophes. The second and third books then move between solo pieces and more elaborate dialogues, with contrapuntally intricate accompaniments. Many of Dowland’s most famous songs are featured, including Weep you no more, sad fountains and If my complaints could passions move. They are interspersed with pavans and galliards for solo lute to make a satisfyingly varied experience, and a superb introduction to the art of Dowland. Both of Adriano Sebastiani’s previous albums for Brilliant Classics have featured guitar - accompanied song: Rossini (BC94628) and Spohr (BC94274) . Here he accompanies a rising soprano star who has sung in the company of the Nürnberg State Opera, and in houses across Europe and Asia as well as her native Canada.