The Collected Lute Music of John Dowland Review

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(More customer reviews)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.With Ian Harwood she also founded the British Lute Society, the first of its kind in the World.

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 (a guiding spirit behind the early days of the BBC Third Programme) 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 3.5 lb.

SUMMARY

This is THE definitive edition of Dowland's lute music.Accept no other!

*The Fantasia P.71 is now known to be by Rosseter.

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Product Description:
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

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