Colin Tilney (harpsichord) Dowland, keyboard transcriptions

John Dowland (1563-1626) Keyboard Transcriptions by other musicians Colin Tilney, Italian Harpsichord Jean-Pierre Batt, after Faby, Bologna, 1677 Released 1979 Editions de L'oiseau-Lyre, part of the Decca Record Company Limited, London. Record Producer: Peter Wadland Executive Producer: Raymond Ware Sound Engineer: Martin Haskell Cover: Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619) - An Unknown Man against a background of flames (Victoria and Albert Museum. London. Crown Copyright). Back: Anne Cromwell's Virginal Book, 1638, Table of duple and triple time note values. Side 1 (25'08) 00:00 1. Lachrimae Pavan - Giles Farnaby 06:07 2. Can Shee - Anon. Fitzwilliam Virginal Book 08:02 3, Paduana (la mia Barbara) - Paul Siefert 13:15 4, The Frogge - John Wilbye 15:07 5. Frog's Galliard - Anon. Cromwell Virginal Book 17:02 6, Pavana and 22:06 Galiarda - Thomas Modey Side 2 (26'52) 24:39 1 Paduana lachrymae - Melchior Schildt (5'13) 29:50 2. Can She Excuse - Anon. Tisdale Virginal Book (1'42) 31:39 3. Pavion Solus cum sola - Anon. Drexel Ms. (4'17) 35:55 4. Dowland's Almayne - Anon. Bodleian Ms. (1'22) . 37:20 5. Piper's Paven and 42:16 Galliard - Martin Peerson and John Bull (8'23) 44:41 6. Pavana Lachrymae - William Byrd (5'30) JOHN DOWLAND Keyboard Transcriptions Though John Dowland wrote not a single piece for keyboard instruments so far as surviving facts indicate, his work figured regularly in the manuscript virginal books of the time in the form of transcriptions from Dowland's original for lute, voice or consort to an idiomatic keyboard arrangement. The list of English composers involved in the transcription process reads like a roll-call of all the greatest performer / composers in the rich English virginal tradition. Farnaby, Wilbye, Morley, Peerson, Bull and Byrd are all represented, making a recording such as this an anthology of not only Dowland-inspired pieces but also of the cream of the composers in the keyboard genre. Dowland's contemporaries thought so too, for here is a commendatory poem by one William Webbe from the edition of 'A second set of Madrigals' 1624 by Francis Pilkington: And must the matchless Excellencies Of Bird, Bull, Dowland, Morley and the rest Of our rare Artists (who now dim the lights Of other lands) be onely in Request? In addition to the named composers, there are several anonymous settings which are on the whole much simpler in style, and much closer to Dowland's original. (Thanks to Peter Holman for preparing the editions of 'Pavion Sol us cum sola' and Dowland's Almayne.) But the two works by North German composers (Melchior Schildt. and Paul Siefert) represent keyboard writing in the style of the Dutch school centred around Sweelinck at its most articulate and decorative. These pieces also serve as a reminder, should we forget, of the extent of Dowland's popularity on the continent, and particularly in North Germany. He had spent much time at the courts of the Duke of Brunswick and of Maurice, Landgrave of Hessen at the turn of the century, and his works appear in several printed anthologies in the following thirty years. In the elaborate works (those by named composers) the approach in each case is not so much one of transcription but more re-composing. In some cases the description 'parody technique' would be appropriate (e.g. Farnaby, Siefert) for the original Dowland piece suffuses the new work through and through . There is no question of plagiarism, more a token of,Dowland's inspiration and a new work arises as it were from within the old. The decorated repeats allow free rein for the composer's imagination and these elaborations usually bear only fortuitous resemblance to Dowland's original divisions. Such decorations are based on a huge vocabulary of stock figures, so that a stylistic resemblance one work to another is inevitable. Other settings take Dowland ·as a point of departure and allow a more free-ranging fantasy to direct their improvisation (e .g'-Morley , Schildt and Byrd). Echoes of the model occur "from "time to time, but essentially these works move so far from the original that we must see them not as transcriptions but wholly new works, inspired by motifs from Dowland. In writing for keyboard instruments, the composer is freed from many of the technical limitations imposed by the lute. It is interesting to contrast the fullness of setting for keyboard with the skeletal writing for the lute. The sheer power of the fulness of the harmonic writing (e.g. Morley or Schildt) is simply intoxicating, in a way which could never be achieved on the lute. Similarly the 'lute!1ist is left feeling very envious of the intricacy , speed and energy which the keyboard elaborations can have . On the other hand, I must say as a lutenist that it is no wonder that the sheer poetry and relative simplicity of the 6riginal was such an inspiration for these great works. Anthony Rooley #JeanPierreBatt #ColinTilney