Castle Classics 4765780 Various: Romaria

4765780 Various: Romaria - The Dowland Project

Label - ECM

Cat. No. - 4765780

Including Got schepfer aller dingen; Veris dulcis; Pulcherrima rosa; Ora pro nobis; Lá lume; Dulce solum; Der oben swebt; O beata infantia (fragment); O Rosa; Saudade; In flagellis; Kyrie Jesus autem transiens; O beata infantia; Credo Laudate dominum; Ein gut Preambel (vihuela); Sanctus Tu solus qui facis; Ein iberisch Postambel

After two albums based on music by John Dowland and on English and Italian Renaissance madrigals respectively, The Dowland Project now performs settings of monophonic songs from mediaeval sources along with polyphonic compositions by Josquin and Orlando di Lasso and traditional chants from Spain and Portugal. The title Romaria refers, rather metaphorically, to the traditional pilgrimages in Portugal and Brazil but also to the destination of this musical journey finally leading to a completely improvised instrumental piece in the Iberian style. The often sparse sources - often not more than a melody line -- serve as a starting point for the improvisational imagination. Freedom is no carte blanche for self-indulgence but a prerequisite for the poetic dialogues between vocal line and instruments. It's an exchange between musical epochs and regions: A 13th century "Minnesänger" meets Surman's warm jazz saxophone, a Portuguese song is confronted with Milos Valent's eastern European intonations …

The Dowland Project began as an idea between tenor John Potter and producer Manfred Eicher to approach songs by the English renaissance composer from a new angle. John Potter, for 17 years a singer with the Hilliard Ensemble, a vocalist of rare versatility and erudition, has written extensively on singing. John Surman, one of the defining voices of European jazz, has been a crucial contributor to music on ECM since 1976, with 16 albums as a leader. Milos Valent was born in Slovakia into a family of folk musicians. He trained as a classical and early music violinist and founded his own baroque orchestra Solamente Naturali with whom he appeared as soloist in Vladimír Godár's Mater on ECM. Stephen Stubbs, the American born lutenist, is a key figure in the early music move-ment. He previously appeared on ECM's Proensa album with Paul Hillier and his own Teatro Lirico.
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