I Saw My Lady Weep
John Dowland (1563-1626)
This composition heavily embraces the concept of Elizabethan melancholy, an aesthetic style in which John Dowland was considered the absolute master. In fact, the composer frequently signed his personal letters with the Latin pun, “Semper Dowland, semper dolens” (“Always Dowland, always doleful”). To properly serve the text, the musical phrases fluctuate in length, and it is highly suspected that Dowland penned the poetry himself. This performance features mezzo-soprano Barbara Rearick.
