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Johnson's earlier dance music includes galliards and almains,simple pieces largely of melody and bass, with the harmony filled in at cadences.North's playing reflects their function,metrical with only the barest slowing up as the dance sequence ends. Other dances,for court Masques,are more balletic.The most striking is the vividly characterised Wiches Dance- a menacing pause,a threatening energetic whirl,and then a return to frightening stillness.In contrast to such extrovert movements are he four Pavans,beautifully crafted in often sustained counterpoint,a challenge to both composer and performer on the ten-course lute.North plays these most thoughtfully.The introspective mood here is intensified by his inventive divisions-elaborated repeats-creating a sense of improvisation in his playing.One of the Pavans exists only in a keyboard arrangement by Giles Farnaby;North has ingeniously reversed the process to re-create the lute original,as he's done with the final track,The Satyre's Dance,from a court Masque by Ben Jonson.As often with plucked instruments,close recording picks up the rasp of calloused finger-tips on strings-the performer's perspective,but quite apt for such initimate music,so superbly played. Performance ***** Recording **** BBC MUSIC INSTRUMENTAL CHOICE --BBC Music Magazine,Feb'11
A master Lutenist in the music of the instrument's finest composer. --Gramophone,Mar'11
A master Lutenist in the music of the instrument's finest composer. --Gramophone,Mar'11
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The lutenist Robert Johnson, son of John, also a famous court lute player, was a close contemporary of Shakespeare, and is well known for providing the music for some of Shakespeare's lyrics in the later plays. Who doesn't know "Where the bee suck's" and "Full fathom five"? This disk though is devoted to the solo lute music, of which there isn't a great deal surviving, but each piece is a gem in its way, from the profundity of the fantasies and pavans, to the delight and lightness of the almains. In some ways, Robert's music points the way to the emerging baroque style. Here, it receives a perfect performance from English lutenist Nigel North, who captures in exemplary fashion the style of each piece, with tone quality and virtuoso technique to match. It's hard to imagine that a better performance could be given. An essential CD for lute lovers, and all followers of English music.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is a terrific disc of lute music from the early 17th Century. Robert Johnson was a lutenist and composer at the court of James I, the son of John Johnson who was Elizabeth's lutenist (and whose music has been wonderfully recorded by Christopher Wilson and Shirley Rumsey, also on Naxos John Johnson: Lute Music). Robert's music begins to look forward to the baroque style and is more contrapuntal than that of his father or his older contemporary John Dowland. It is rich in melody and harmonic invention and has a lovely range of emotional feel from serene and lovely pieces to lively dances, some reconstructed by Nigel North from transpositions in manuscripts for other instruments. It is a lovely, rewarding collection.
Nigel North, as always in my view, plays beautifully. He is recognised as one of the world's leading lutenists and brings his immense skill, experience and empathy to this collection. The result is a delight, beautifully recorded by Naxos, and very warmly recommended.
Nigel North, as always in my view, plays beautifully. He is recognised as one of the world's leading lutenists and brings his immense skill, experience and empathy to this collection. The result is a delight, beautifully recorded by Naxos, and very warmly recommended.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Having recently come across the music of Robert Johnson via a live recital by the excellent lutenist Elizabeth Kenny, I opted to buy this disc by Nigel North, though I'm aware that some consider his playing to be scurrilously modernist.
Well, that's as maybe - personally, I find this disc of wonderful tunes to be exquisite in both performance and recording quality. I've also purchased and reviewed the Naxos/Nigel North box set of the complete Dowland lute music, which I can highly recommend.
Well, that's as maybe - personally, I find this disc of wonderful tunes to be exquisite in both performance and recording quality. I've also purchased and reviewed the Naxos/Nigel North box set of the complete Dowland lute music, which I can highly recommend.
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