Hopkinson Smith, Mariana Flores – Dowland: Whose Heavenly Touch (2019) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

Hopkinson Smith, Mariana Flores – Dowland: Whose Heavenly Touch (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 56:34 minutes | 963 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © naïve classique

“In his darker works, one is abandoned at the depths of a dry well, far from any light, alone with ogres and demons, and just as Dowland goes to extremes in his textual allusions, in a like manner he will twist and turn the lutenist’s hands to wring the excruciating essence from the text. In another moment, he can elicit an almost ferocious capriciousness with as many colours as a rainbow where the lute, which was his instrument of torture a few minutes before, suddenly rises to unexpected heights of lightness and eloquent folly.”

It is in such passionate terms as these that lutist Hopkinson Smith describes the music that John Dowland selected for his instrument. This new album dedicated to his famous songs could seem sacrilegious to some aficionados. But the simple music-lover will find in it a source of unparalleled delight. Hopkinson Smith and Mariana Florès have changed the original text by transposing and altering some pages. Anticipating the indignation that such liberties might inspire, the performers point out, correctly, that in those days musical pragmatism was the spice of creativity. Dowland himself left behind several variants of his most famous works.

Argentine soprano Mariana Florès threw herself into this project, both a labour of love and a departure for a performer who tends to sing in Romance languages. With the help of a coach, she has found the perfect English pronunciation, chiselling every syllable with care, working with her lutist friend to find the best colour for Dowland’s language and music. It’s this mixture of a firm vision and artistic freedom that gives this record such a uniquely enchanting tone. – François Hudry

Tracklist:
01. The Second Book of Songes: No. 2, Flow My Tears
02. The Second Book of Songes: No. 11, Come Away, Come Sweet Love
03. The Second Book of Songes: No. 10, O Sweet woods, the Delight of Solitariness
04. The Second Book of Songes: No. 1, I Saw My Lady Weep
05. The First Booke of Songes: No. 5, Can She Excuse My Wrongs
06. The First Booke of Songes: No. 14, All ye, whom Love or Fortune
07. Mignarda
08. The Second Book of Songes: No. 12, Fine Knacks for Ladies
09. The First Booke of Songes: No. 6, Now, O Now, I Needs Must Part
10. The First Booke of Songes: No. 20, Come, Heavy Sleep
11. In Darkness Let Me Dwell
12. The First Booke of Songes: No. 4, The First Booke of Songes
13. The First Booke of Songes: No. 15, Wilt Thou Unkind Thus Reave Me
14. The First Booke of Songes: No. 9, Go crystal tears
15. The First Booke of Songes: No. 9, Go crystal tears
16. The First Booke of Songes: No. 17, Come Again
17. The Second Book of Songes: No. 3, Sorrow, Sorrow, Stay, lend True Repentant Tears

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