Search - John Dowland, Peter Holman, Thw Parley of Instruments :: Dowland: Lachrimae The Parley of Instruments Renaissance Violin Consort

JG Miller's Album of the Week No. 2

JG Miller | Demorest, Georgia | 11/16/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is European chamber music from the early 17th century. The date of composition, 1604, places it in the transitional period between the Renaissance and Baroque traditions. I would classify it as late Renaissance and not early Baroque. It is perhaps some of the most melancholy material I have heard, but not oppressively so, and not as overwhelmingly sad as say the adagio from Samuel Barber's string quartet. There are sufficient, carefully crafted and timed, bright (well, less pensive) passages that prevent any sort of monotony from setting in over the long running time of the disc. These are not however in any sense disruptive and do not affect the overall mood of the collection. I find myself playing it at least 2 or 3 times a month at home and more frequently in the office. Perfect for reading, especially on rainy or snowy days, but perhaps surprisingly, it also works at dinner. For historical context, Dowland is a contemporary of Shakespeare. The performance is engaging and without fault and it is beautifully recorded. The sound of the period instruments is rich and warm."