The Collected Lute Music of John Dowland (Faber Edition) Paperback – December 1, 1998

I keep it handy at all times as a reference and a companion to Diana Poulton's "John Dowland"

I love hearing the opinions of other musicians. One other reviewer lamented the fact that the tablature and the standard musical notation were on the same page, resulting in having to turn pages more often than not, perhaps resulting in the need to employ a page-turner, or to guilt your nearest and dearest into doing so. I'm just glad that both notations are there. I'm a lousy luteanist but a very good hammered dulcimer player, and, in addition to having the tablature I can now begin the transferral process to dulcimer, before taking advantage of the wider range. Great to add variety to my playing, especially at Christmas.

THE AUTHORSThe late Diana Poulton (1903-95) was the first Professor of Lute at the Royal College of Music, and in her lifetime was the recognized authority on Dowland. With Ian Harwood she also founded the British Lute Society, the first of its kind in the World.Together with the biography  John Dowland , this book represents the culmination of her life's work. According to an article by Donna Curry ("Diana Poulton: An Appreciation of Her Life"): "[R]esearch was not an easy proposition before microfilm, photocopies, and reference books citing locations of MSS and first editions. Existence and location of music had to be found in library catalogs when obtainable. Copying had to be by hand in pencil. If music abroad were needed, it meant traveling there, ordering expensive photographs, or finding a local friend who would copy it. Diana's hand copied music, books, documents, etc., filled stacks of notebooks."Basil Lam (a guiding spirit behind the early days of the BBC Third Programme) was a noted Early Music scholar who died in 1984, and was here responsible for the transcription into staff notation.CONTENTSThis book comprises all lute works by Dowland that were known at the time of its publication*. They are classified as follows:• Fantasies (7)• Pavans (11)• Galliards (28)• Almaines (8)• Jigs (5)• Song arrangements (1)• Settings of Ballad Tunes (10)• Pieces of uncertain ascription (17)• Other versions (16)plus• Calendar of dates in the life of John Dowland• Biographical Notes• List of Sources• Editorial Notes• Index of TitlesSome pieces are presented in multiple versions. The numbering system used is now standard for these works. The published versions are the result of a great deal of cross-checking of sources, since misprints were very common.FORMATThe pieces are presented in staff notation (bass and treble clefs), with French lute tablature below.For guitarists, it's easy to read the pieces for 6-course lute straight from the tablature. I also had no trouble copying the various voices from the staff notation into different layers of a single 8vb treble clef in Finale, and transposing the result down a minor third to produce guitar notation (3rd string to F#, of course).Pieces for more than six courses present a problem, obviously. One solution is to make duets of them, in the manner of Presti/Lagoya or the Abreu Brothers.PRESENTATIONThe book is printed on very good quality paper, and is approximately 9" x 12". It weighs nearly 3½ lb.P.S. 2023: The portrait on the cover is ‘Dama con liuto’ by Bartolomeo Veneto, 1520. You can see a colour version in his English Wikipedia entry (although not the Italian entry).SUMMARYThis is THE definitive edition of Dowland's lute music. Accept no other!*The Fantasia P.71 has been attributed, possibly incorrectly, to Rosseter.UPDATE 2023: ERRATUMA discussion on the Delcamp Classical Guitar forum has pointed out a typo in the staff notation for the Preludium P. 98: In bar 19, the last four notes should be B♭-G-A-F#, not B♭-A-G-F#. The tablature is correct.UPDATE 2012 — DETAILED CONTENTS LISTOK, here is a complete contents list. Pieces asterisked appear (at a glance — no guarantees!) to be playable on a 7-course lute; those with a dagger 8-course; double dagger 9-course; all others 6-course.(I have abridged some of the titles that are rather verbose.)Fantasies01) A Fantasie* & 1a) A Fantasie*02) Forlorn Hope Fancy*03) Farewell*04) Farwell (An "In Nomine")*05) A Fancy*06) A Fancy*07) A Fancy*Pavans08) Piper's Pavan09) Semper Dowland Semper Dolens*10) Solus Cum Sola11) Mrs Brigide Fleetwood's Pavan12) Dr. Case's Pavan*13) Resolution*14) Mr John Langton's Pavan* & 14a) Sir John Langton's Pavan*15) Lachrimæ Pavan16) A Pavan17) Lady Russell's Pavan*18) A Pavan*Galliards19) Captain Digorie Piper's Galliard20) Dowland's Galliard21) John Dowland's Galliard22) Dowland's First Galliard (6 or 7, as required)23) The Frog Galliard & 23a) The Frog Galliard*24) Galliard25) Melancholie Galliard26) Sir John Souch's Galliard27) A Galliard28) A Galliard (on a Galliard of Daniel Bacheler)*29) Giles Hobie's Galliard30) A Galliard*31) A Galliard (on Walsingham)32) Mrs. Vaux's Galliard33) Mr. Langton's Galliard*34) Mignarda35) A Galliard36) Mr. Knight's Galliard*37) My Lord Chamberlaine's Galliard*38) Lord d'Lisle's Galliard*39) Round Battle Galliard40) The King of Denmark's Galliard*41) Queen Elizabeth's Galliard42) Can She Excuse? & 42a) The Earl of Essex's Galliard43) Lady Rich's Galliard* & 43a) Lady Rich's Galliard44) The Earl of Derby's Galliard* & 44a) The Earl of Derby's Galliard*45) Lady Clifton's Spirit*46) Galliard to Lachrimæ†Almaines47) Sir John Smith's Almaine* & 47a) Smythe's Almaine*48) Lady Laiton's Almaine & 48a) Lady Laiton's Almaine*49) An Almaine50) Mistris Whittes Thinge51) A Piece Without Title*52) Mrs Nichols's Almaine53) Mrs Clifton's Almaine*54) My Lady Hunsdon's Puffe*Jigs Etc.55) Mrs Winter's Jump56) Mrs White's Nothinge57) Mrs Vaux's Gigge*58) The Shoemaker's Wife*59) Tarleton's ResurrectionSong Arrangement60) Come Away*Settings of Ballad Tunes61) Orlando Sleepeth62) Fortune My Foe†63) Complaint64) Go from My Window65) Lord Strang's March66) My Lord Willoughby's Welcome Home & 66a) My Lord Willoughby's Welcome Home67) Walsingham*68) Aloe69) Loth to Depart*70) Bonny Sweet RobinPieces of Uncertain Ascription71) A Fantasia*72) A Fancy*73) A Fancy*74) A Fancy*75) A Dream (Lady Leighton's Paven)76) A Galliard*77) Mrs. Norrish's Delight*78) A Piece Without Title79) What If A Day80) A Coye Joye81) Tarleton's Jig82) A Galliard83) Dowland's Galliard*84) Hasellwood's Galliard85) Galliarda Dulandi 3986) Pavana Dulandi†87) Galliarda Dulandi 8*Other Versions88) Piper's Galliard*89) Can She Excuse?*90) The Frog Galliard*91) Suzanna Galliard92) Galliard Fr. Cutting*From the Schele MS93) Del Excellentissimo Musico Jano Dulando‡94) Pavana Johan Douland‡95) La Mia Barbara†From the Margaret Board Lute Book96) An Almand*97) The Queen's Galliard‡98) Preludium*99) Mr. Dowland's Midnight*100) Coranto‡From the Hainhofer MS (in Italian tablature)101) Phantasia102) Preambulum*103) Gagliarda*

The Holy Grail for those who wish to study Dowland on guitar or lute. Since its publication, some pieces have been determined to be composed by other composers, but an awesome collection nonetheless. Includes an interesting historical timeline for Dowland. Essential.

Well, this collection is like a Bible for any lutenist. The work of John Dowland represents a timeless masterwork from one of the greatest musical geniuses who ever lived. However, I cannot comprehend why the tablature and the notes/staff are both included on the same page. This makes for twice as many page turns when playing the music. It is necessary to copy everything, edit out the notes/staves and reassemble the work into a condensed more useful format. As if that was not enough, it is rigid, not spiral bound, so that you need to sit on the damn thing to hold it flat to scan it. Well Ms. Poulton is no longer with us to complain to, and we really should be thankful for her contributions. Hopefully the editor of the next edition with have a little more foresight and common sense.

Why two stars? The publication is wonderful for the piano or lute, but unfortunately for me, it's useless. Just another warning for the classical guitarist -- Not guitar notation and lute tab. The keyboard notation is not written in a key that will lay suitably on the guitar fretboard, many shown to be in the key of B flat and will not lay nicely on the fretboard. If you are to play the lute or the keyboard (never heard JD on a keyboard) then this is certainly a five star must have publication.

Guitar players seeking to obtain an anthology of John Dowland's lute music to play on your guitar, RUN AWAY! While the original tablature is shown, the music is written for keyboard with bass and treble clef. In order to massage the material into a readily guitar-playable format, considerable arrangement / rewriting would be required. This author, for one, will prefer to wait for a comprehensive volume of Dowland's work ;suitable for guitar performance.

The book is well made. I appreciate the Tab AND Keyboard score, as I can read from both without problems (Every pro musician can read music from keyboard score anyway, or at least should be able to do so)Though the book is rather thick, the binding of this edition allows it to open easily on all pages and it stays open at the music stand, no matter the first or the last pages.

The definitive book on the subject.

arrivato nei tempi previsti , è stato un regalo molto gradito .Ottimo prezzo , non riuscivo trovarlo da nessuna parte.

ce livre permet de trouver d'un coup d'oeil une pièce de Dowland (ou qui lui est attribuée, ou qu'il a arrangée) avec la tablature pour luth et surtout la partition, très utile pour ceux qui comme moi veulent adapter ces airs sur un autre instrument. Vraiment indispensable, en complément aux airs chantés de Dowland.

leider sehr klein gedruckt, deshalb nur eingeschränkt zu empfehlen. Klasse ist die Klaviernotation, die mitgeliefert wird. Das Buch ist recht dick und deshalb habe ich Probleme, das ordentlich auf dem Notenständer zu fixieren. entweder klappt es zu oder ich kann die Notation am inneren Rand schlecht lesen. Inhaltlich spitzenmäßig und für Fans ein Muss.