Amazing pieces of classical music - 36
"Melancholy Galliard", an instrumental piece by John Dowland (c. 1563–1626). This particular piece from the Renaissance didn't have an exact title, nor can a formal one be found in primary publications today. The name most likely refers to an instrumental version of a galliard, a popular Elizabethan dance, that reflects Dowland's famous melancholic style, which is a signature of his work.
Dowland was thus an English Renaissance composer, lutenist, and singer. He's best known today for his songs such as "Can She Excuse My Wrongs", "Come, heavy sleep", "Come again", "Flow my tears", "I saw my Lady weepe", "Now o now I needs must part" and "In darkness let me dwell". His instrumental music has undergone a major revival and, in unison with the 20th century's early music revival, has been a continuing source of repertoire for lutenists and classical guitarists.
Let me now insert a YouTube clip posted by Rick Beato instead of going on with my own impressions and discoveries. He is generally well informed and has a deep musical knowledge, although his critical perspective on modern music trends and the future of music are indeed heavily crtisized too. In short, a lot of people seem to hate him for being a boomer (very much like myself) and not respecting younger/current artists and music styles.
[media=https://youtu.be/pgDbj2OvSwI]
Strangely enough, the music in Kenneth Clark's BBC tv-series Civilization for his episode on the Elizabethan age (beside the architecture, visual art and literature) reveals to be truly good as well because, while the music pieces like this Melancholy Galliard are certainly not on the long list of the best, somehow there's almost always an hidden gem of a story behind the music itself too.
Julian Bream was once considered to have been one of the most prominent classical guitarists of the 20th century and played a crucial role in improving public perception of the classical guitar as a respectable instrument. Over the course of his whole career spanning more than half a century, he helped revive also interest in the lute. One of the most regular composers of the pieces that he played was therefore John Dowland.
Dowland carried out a number of espionage missions for Sir Robert Cecil in France and Denmark, and despite his high salary, he seems to have been merely a court musician throughout Europe. Feelings of bitterness in his letters suggest that much of his music and his melancholy truly arose from his own personality and frustration. The performance of the piece "Melancholy Galliard" here is from 1954
[media=https://youtu.be/E8hcL46g3w8]
Dowland was thus an English Renaissance composer, lutenist, and singer. He's best known today for his songs such as "Can She Excuse My Wrongs", "Come, heavy sleep", "Come again", "Flow my tears", "I saw my Lady weepe", "Now o now I needs must part" and "In darkness let me dwell". His instrumental music has undergone a major revival and, in unison with the 20th century's early music revival, has been a continuing source of repertoire for lutenists and classical guitarists.
Let me now insert a YouTube clip posted by Rick Beato instead of going on with my own impressions and discoveries. He is generally well informed and has a deep musical knowledge, although his critical perspective on modern music trends and the future of music are indeed heavily crtisized too. In short, a lot of people seem to hate him for being a boomer (very much like myself) and not respecting younger/current artists and music styles.
[media=https://youtu.be/pgDbj2OvSwI]
Strangely enough, the music in Kenneth Clark's BBC tv-series Civilization for his episode on the Elizabethan age (beside the architecture, visual art and literature) reveals to be truly good as well because, while the music pieces like this Melancholy Galliard are certainly not on the long list of the best, somehow there's almost always an hidden gem of a story behind the music itself too.
Julian Bream was once considered to have been one of the most prominent classical guitarists of the 20th century and played a crucial role in improving public perception of the classical guitar as a respectable instrument. Over the course of his whole career spanning more than half a century, he helped revive also interest in the lute. One of the most regular composers of the pieces that he played was therefore John Dowland.
Dowland carried out a number of espionage missions for Sir Robert Cecil in France and Denmark, and despite his high salary, he seems to have been merely a court musician throughout Europe. Feelings of bitterness in his letters suggest that much of his music and his melancholy truly arose from his own personality and frustration. The performance of the piece "Melancholy Galliard" here is from 1954
[media=https://youtu.be/E8hcL46g3w8]
