John Dowland published his most famous collection, the seven pavanes Lachrimæ, or Seven Teares, in 1604 while he was a lutenist at the court of King Christian IV of Denmark. Written for five violas da gamba and lute, the work is based on the descending tetrachord. A tribute to the anamorphic melancholy of a recurring theme, each of the Lachrimæ are based on Dowland’s infamous Flow My Tears. A constantly evolving polyphony invites the listener to derive intense intellectual pleasure from following the changing elements of the collection’s organic unity. This work became one of the best known instrumental ensemble works of the time; its pavane Lachrymæ antiquæ was easily one of the greatest successes of the 17th century.

Francis Colpron [English translation: Kim Farris-Manning, xii-20]