Semper Dowland Semper Dolens

John Dowland's pieces for the lute are one of the most splendid achievements of English music and have been the subject of lots of recordings, including some 'complete' sets during recent years.

José Miguel Moreno gives Dowland's compositions a new twist by incorporating a warm, Mediterranean approach to this music, both in terms of performance and of instrumentation. In addition to Moreno's sublime and deeply emotional playing, the addition of a second instrument, be it the theorbo or the gittern, creates a fascinating sonority. This is the first time ever that Dowland is performed in this way, based on historical facts such as the introduction of the theorbo from Italy to England in 1605 and Dowland's presence in Venice in 1595, a time when the theorbo was enormously popular there. There is no evidence that in the composer's time his music was performed on these instruments, but if the task of reconstructing History requires solid and incontrovertible facts, the reconstruction of Art can rely on "possible" facts, or even invent them.

Musicology apart, this is a breathtaking collection which should become a benchmark in Dowland's already ample discography.