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This is indeed my preferred interpretation of Dowland, which I have on an old Turnabout LP - one reason why I am not abandoning my turntable. It is a major priority for CD reissue - it was issued by some French label & has since become a rarity. I agree about Cuénod, the great quasi unknown of 20th century vocal interpretation - I have him singing Schubert & Fauré as well as those Monteverdi recordings with Boulanger. Miraculously, he seems to be still alive at 104. Then there are Deller, Russell Oberlin and Pears - not much else to my taste. Unfortunately you may be right about the uninitiated - I offered a selection of Dowland recordings to the acquaintance who made my copy of the Sting product, and she said that her need for the music had been assuaged i.e. it meant nothing to her. Shall I sue, shall I seeke for grace... mj Mark Weiss wrote: > If it can be found, Songs and dances of John Dowland (1973), with the > incomparable Hughes Cuénod, Joel Cohen, and Christiane Jacottet is > pretty wonderful. Anything Cuénod did is wonderful. > > > At 11:39 AM 3/23/2007, you wrote: > >> I've seen him play the lute while singing the songs on three >> occasions on television. >> >> I doubt the album was number one on the untabulated charts of people >> who actually listen to classical music. I also doubt that his sad >> renditions will inspire a whole lot of the uninitiated to seek out >> better performances. >> >> But Dowland will probably survive. Hell, Chopin and Tchaikowsky >> managed to survive Hollywood and Tin Pan Alley. >> >> At 11:07 AM 3/23/2007, you wrote: >> >>> Well, Mark, on the CD at least it's a genuine lutenist playing on >>> nearly all the tracks, Sting mainly keeps to "singing" in a dry >>> untrained voice with a strange pop articulation & accent that does >>> the music no favours at all. Funny to think it went to No 1 in the >>> "classical charts" & quite high in the pop charts. "Dowland should >>> sue" - was that an allusive pun? (cf. Songs Bk.II, No.19) >>> mj >>> Mark Weiss wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> On the other hand, Sting has discovered John Dowland, heaven help >>>> us. Dowland should sue, but so should every lutanist who actually >>>> knows how to play the instrument. >>>> >>>> Mark >>>> >>>> A >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> The art of being civilized is the art of learning to read between >>> the lies. - Kenneth Rexroth >> > -- The art of being civilized is the art of learning to read between the lies. - Kenneth Rexroth