Although many of these pieces were originally written for lute, the modern guitar does a great job of capturing the renaissance atmosphere. This curated selection of original arrangements includes celebrated composer like John Dowland and Luis Milan and ranges from up-beat dances like the Galliard to more thoughtful airs like Dowland's 'Come Again'.
1.
Dowland - Come again
Come Again, sweet love doth now invite" is a song by John Dowland. The lyrics are anonymous. The song is bitter-sweet, typical of Dowland who cultivated a melancholy style. It was included in Dowland's First Booke of Songes or Ayres, which appeared in 1597.
.A "Dompe" (also spelled "Dumpe") is a type of dance music from the late medieval and early Renaissance periods. The origin of the term is uncertain, but it appears to refer to a specific style of composition that was popular particularly in England. Dompe compositions are typically characterized by their somewhat slow, melancholic nature and are usually written in a minor key. They're often associated with the lute and keyboard instruments like the virginal or the harpsichord. The "My Lady Carey's Dompe" is one of the most well-known examples of this genre.
"Branle des Chevaux" (or "Horse's Brawl") is a traditional dance tune from the Renaissance period. It was documented by Thoinot Arbeau in his dance manual "Orchésographie," published in 1589. The "Branle des Chevaux" is a specific type of branle, a dance form popular in the 16th and 17th centuries, characterized by its side-to-side movement; the term "branle" actually means "sway" in Old French. The name "Branle des Chevaux" (Horse's Brawl) is thought to reflect the spirited and energetic nature of the dance, reminiscent of lively, prancing horses.
"L'homme armé" (French for "the armed man") is a secular song from the Late Middle Ages, of the Burgundian School. It was the most popular tune used for musical settings of the Ordinary of the Mass: over 40 separate compositions entitled Missa L'homme armé survive from the period. Probably the most famous are the two settings by Josquin, the Missa L'homme armé super voces musicales, and the Missa L'homme armé sexti toni
8.
Milan - Pavana del quinto y sexto tono (No. 25 from El Maestro)
"Pavana del Quinto y Sexto Tono" is a piece composed by Luis de Milán, a Spanish composer, vihuelist (a vihuela is a guitar-like instrument popular in Spain in the 15th and 16th centuries), and writer of the Renaissance period.This particular piece is the 25th from his collection entitled "El Maestro," which was published in 1536. "El Maestro" is significant because it is one of the earliest publications of vihuela music and it's also unique in that it presents the music in a chronological progression designed to teach a student how to play the instrument."Pavana del Quinto y Sexto Tono" is a pavane, a type of slow, processional dance that was popular during the Renaissance. The words "Quinto" and "Sexto Tono" refer to the mode in which the piece is written, in this case, the fifth and sixth modes, which correspond roughly to our modern D minor and E minor keys.
"The Fall of the Leafe" is a piece composed by Martin Peerson, an English composer who was active during the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. Written originally for keyboard pieces and typically played on the virginal, a keyboard instrument popular during the Renaissance.
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anon - The Sinkapace Galliard from William Ballet's Lute B...
"The Sinkapace Galliard" is a piece taken from "William Ballet's Lute Book," a manuscript compiled around 1580. The manuscript is a significant source of English lute music from the late Renaissance.A galliard was a form of Renaissance dance that was popular all over Europe in the 16th century. It was known for its lively, leaping movements and intricate steps. Galliards were usually composed in a triple meter, and "The Sinkapace Galliard" is no exception.The term "sinkapace" (also spelled "cinquepace") refers to a particular rhythmic pattern characteristic of some galliards, featuring a series of five (cinque) steps (paces). In the context of music, it often refers to a specific syncopated rhythm where a longer note is followed by a shorter one.
