When Lachrimae appeared Dowland was one of the most famous lutenists in Europe, though he was known largely by repute: hardly any of his solo lute music was published in reliable editions. He also continued to be denied a post at the English court, even after James 1, the brother-in-law of his Danish employer, had come to the throne. By the time he finally achieved his ambition, in 1612, he had begun to be eclipsed by changing fashion. In A Pilgrimes Solace he complained of his neglect, of criticism from younger lutenists, and of Tobias Hume's claim that the lyra viol could 'with ease yeelde full, various and devisefull Musicke as the Lute'. He also seems virtually to have stopped composing: only a handful of pieces can be dated after 1612, and most of his lute music is cast in forms that were rapidly becoming outmoded at the Jacobean court, such as the fantasy, the pavan and the galliard. Yet he continued to be honored by his contemporaries, and was apparently awarded a university doctorate towards the end of his life. He died in London in the spring of 1626.
1. Semper Dowland, Semper Dolens (0:00)
2. Mr. Whitehead's, His Almand (6:00)
3. Mr. Bucton's Galliard (7:10)
4. The Earl of Essex Galliard (8:37)
5. The King of Denmark's Galliard (9:57)
6. Mistress Nichols Almand (11:05)
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