Thomas Dunford Mezzo recital in Wigmore Hall

Solo lute recital by Thomas Dunford in Wigmore Hall on 20th April 2017
Thomas Dunford lute
A wealth of critical superlatives bear witness to Thomas Dunford’s star status. His debut disc prompted BBC Music Magazine to describe him as ‘the Eric Clapton of the lute’.
Following studies at the Paris Conservatoire and Schola Cantorum in Basel, his career has gathered momentum in company with many of the world’s leading Early Music ensembles and soloists. Dunford’s Wigmore Hall solo debut places Dowland’s highly charged works at the core of a captivating programme of Renaissance showpieces.
John Dowland (1563-1626)
Preludium
Fortune
A fancy
Semper Dowland semper dolens
Mrs Winter's Jump
A Dream
The King of Denmark, his Galliard
Giovanni Kapsberger (c.1580-1651)
Toccata No. 6 from 'Libro primo d'intavolatura di lauto'
Toccata No. 1 from 'Libro primo d'intavolatura di lauto'
Joan Ambrosio Dalza
Calate ala spagnola
John Dowland
Melancholy Galliard
Round Battle Galliard
La mia Barbara
Come again! Sweet love doth now invite
The Frog Galliard
Lachrimae
Encore :
John Dowland's "Now o Now I needs must part" followed by Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven" sang by Iestyn Davies

[@mikeallworth3284]

thank god young people are still interested in the lute and ye olde music. It's just sublime.

[@MrShbbz]

oh us be!

[@jeanmichelvion2888]

quelle profondeur et quelle délicatesse... merveilleux interprète d'un de ces immenses compositeurs de cette époque baroque qui restera à jamais inégalée... quelle leçon de spiritualité pour notre époque de violence, de barbarie et d'indécence, dont la seule vertu est la redécouverte et la diffusion de ces trésors...

[@dianagordon6]

Anyone else here listening in the time of Covid? Beautiful and welcomed respite.

[@lokmanmerican6889]

Very quiet during this covid lockdown; perfect conditions for listening to this man's magical playing

[@barrysmith7710]

Always listening for beauty

[@rodrigocarvajal5924]

87

[@FellowOfHammer]

I'm not, I'm from the future.....but good luck!!!

[@smurf902]

No. COVID is over. Stop mentioning it

[@jackhana7374]

This is beautiful…..thank you….I am damaged and this revives me…Viet era vets listen to this wonderful music and get some healing….

[@barrysmith7710]

It's funny how there are ony 12 notes and that each second lasts the same. That's what they tell us, but a master like Mr Dunford suspends all disbelief. An absolute master, this young man.

[@lokmanmerican6889]

This young man is already master of his art.

[@josephefasciani7343]

I quite agree with your call on his abilities: he surely started at an early age, along w\a gift for string instruments. I discovered the sound of the lute in my 20s, I'm now 78 and followed the lute for 50+ yrs, and lucky enough to hear the development of people such as Robert Barto.

[@marietteleuck5207]

@@josephefasciani7343 in

[@marietteleuck5207]

@@josephefasciani7343 Zug

[@joshua2400]

its amazing i agree, God Christ Jesus bless you all my family, and have an amazing day :" )

[@francinesicard464]

The wonderful sound of this instrument with the maestria of Thomas for one of my favourite English composers.

[@danilodelgiudice1931]

We're all standing on the mud but someone of us is looking to the stars ...

[@ucbookman]

Oscar Wilde

[@celsoteixeira3198]

Always the best friend to listen when I paint... Thomas sounds like reflexions of the most divine music.

[@mathieucocq]

I cannot stop listening to this. You play wonderfully. Thank you so, so much for a great performance.

[@sselfless]

Thomas - thank you so much for all your many years of study and all the hard work you put into practicing so we could all enjoy this sublimely wonderful performance.

[@larsfrandsen2501]

Absolutely superb and inspiring in every way! Bravo!

[@clausula_vera9759]

John Dowland (1563-1626) 1. Preludium , P. 98 (1:01) 2. Fortune (2:27) 3. A Fancy (5:26) 4. Semper Dowland semper dolens (8:02) 5. Mrs Winter's Jump (14:48) 6. A Dream (15:53) 7. The King of Denmark, his Galliard (21:11) Giovanni Kapsberger (c.1580-1651) 8. Toccata No. 6 from 'Libro primo d'intavolatura di lauto' (25:07) 9. Toccata No. 1 from 'Libro primo d'intavolatura di lauto' (28:45) Joan Ambrosio Dalza 10. Calate ala spagnola (33:18) John Dowland 11. Melancholy Galliard (38:04) 12. Round Battle Galliard (41:05) 13. La mia Barbara (42:26) 14. Come again! Sweet Love Doth Now Invite (45:58) 15. Farewell (48:18) 16. The Frog Galliard (50:13) 17. Lachrimae Pavan (52:12) Encore: John Dowland - Now o Now I Needs Must Part (1:01:26) Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven (1:06:07)

[@josephefasciani7343]

Many, many thanks for your work, so we can share in even deeper appreciation!

[@gguitarwilly]

Thanks man!

[@fericy1]

Merci!

[@errudimini]

Merci

[@aumelb]

Thank you

[@jean-francoismasson3361]

Remarquable musicien ! interprète incontournable ! quel son ! et phrasé, avec une technique sans reproche! bravo !

[@dgbx6]

What incredible music, and music making. It's like entering a lost world.

[@celiaseabra7823]

Really wonderful!

[@gillestemprement2060]

Quelle sonorité!Quelle interprétation!Quelle virtuosité!Quel jeu aérien et fluide sans bruit parasite'Quel bon choix de compositeurs!Bien sûr John Dowland le grand melodiste précurseur du grand Bach.Encore bravo Thomas.Je découvre ton talent immense.....

[@errudimini]

Ça a plus de 500 ans et heureusement il y a des virtuoses qui nous les font partager Merci 1000 fois

[@mimidurand578]

Il mérite d'être mondialement reconnu GRAND MUSICIEN

[@natus49]

Beautiful recording in a beautiful hall. Absolutely fantastic

[@TheEvertw]

Very well played, greatly enjoyed this. My dad used to play simplified versions of some of these tunes on his lute, as I lay listening as a child...

[@mooh-td6ny]

I listened to their performance in Tokyo. It was wonderful! Impressed, there is only that word.

[@liptonjohn9387]

It feels so perfectly natural to hear Clapton's music seamlessly integrating into Dowland's that one really has no excuse but to acknowledge music flows regardless of any distinction of genre and time. It's the same mysterious dynamic that carries and ties together life 's joyful and melancholy moments. Some may call it destiny or fate. For me, it's just the unpredictable and yet secretly related brighter and darker hours of existence.

[@austenj4539]

I couldn't understand your Eric Clapton reference until I watched until the final piece from this glorious concert. It was a lovely touch to connect the classical lute to the modern, bare bone equivalent - i.e. the 6 string guitar!

[@paulsmith5752]

And Mr Dunford's nickname is also Slow Hand.

[@bernarddavid7714]

Merci, et encore merci pour le plaisir que vous me donnez…

[@willowrose54]

Utterly captivating! What a delight... thank you for this gift.

[@drperny]

sublime comme toujours.. combien faut il former de luthistes pour avoir une étoile montante comme le jeune thomas dunford!!!!une telle merveille d'intelligence et de sensibilité ...nous rends optimiste pour la pratique dans l 'avenir et la diffusion plus large de ces instruments delicats( redécouverts dans la deuxieme moitié du siecle20) bravo aussi à ceux qui ont formé ces jeunes talents mrs perny dijon

[@donlewis1586]

Thank you Thomas for taking us to a timeless and wondrously beautiful atmosphere of singing strings. You are refreshing and sensitive to the soul of our existence. Thank you for heart felt musical interpretations! Thanks Alan for introducing me to Thomas and his amazing gift of music on the lute!

[@alanckay]

Hi Don -- you are most welcome. I think Thomas gave me an extra 10 years of happy life! (As have you!)

[@armandom28]

Fantastic.....was quite moved by your performance

[@alejandroherreradelaparra3977]

Prefiero expresarlo en mi idioma, porque además de bello, mis ideas fluyen mejor. Felicidades Thomas, eres un enorme intérprete del laúd. Dowland, si viviera, te compondría música para que tú la estrenaras. Además, e igualmente importante, eres una persona que se "ve" sencilla, humilde y decente, lo cual en ese medio frívolo, materialista y vanidoso de la llamada Música Clásica, es verdaderamente todo un logro. Enhorabuena joven portento. Que sigan más y más éxitos.

[@nickangel6596]

Bien dicho, caballero!

[@satyamariasmith44]

No se pudo haber expresado con más claridad Sr. Así es!

[@virabyy6240]

Beautiful meditative music and mesmerizing interpretation. Thank you, Maestro

[@charlescolabella3754]

Fills and soothes mind, body, and spirit.

[@FranciscoPerez-wq4nk]

I enjoy hearing you solo and with Iestyn Davies.

[@flawless_undergoer]

You play so wonderfully and filled my soul with such a gladness ! Thankful greetings from Bulgaria !

[@dulcamarabuffo]

Worth staying up until four in the morning and find this by chance on KZbin. What gorgeous musical talent.

[@vratyadeleon1928]

Well done !

[@danilodelgiudice1931]

Thanks Maestro for sharing this ancient beautiful music of 17th century!! Excellent rendition!

[@LMusiqueD]

D'une douceur et d'une beauté absolue ...

[@beasheerhan4482]

This Lute is a star, too; and, as such, it leaves one to wonder by whom it was wrought?

[@gdemarneffe1]

Merveilleuse interprétation de 'Fortune' , toute en finesse, musicalité, légèreté, inventivité. Chaque nouvelle phrase est incertaine, aventureuse, nouvelle, comme le chemin de la vie...

[@gregormann7]

The amazing staying power of this music! Could anyone from the Renaissance period have ever imagined it might be so? You couldn’t blame them if they did.

[@gregormann7]

What an unexpected treat at the end!

[@joeharris1717]

Yes. Listening still.

[@perudahudson7481]

as a blues guitarist i have to say this is brilliant.

[@katiushastroya3291]

Your interpretation of Calate ala spagnola is amazing ! I can't stop repeating it.

[@jordifontpujol8672]

Magnifique! I was in your concert in Barcelona, last January. It was wonderful. Merci beaucoup pour votre art 🙏🙏

[@dr.weaklicksofcrashedcurse4535]

Quite impressive, talent and exercise combined, it leaves me speechless.

[@jsfingerstyle]

Superbly worked out set of Renaissance and Baroque Lute playing ! Enjoyed very much !

[@sravanaastrid3749]

Cette petite merveille interprétée avec maestria est un régal

[@guptaviolin]

stunning.

[@ToreDimmestol]

stunning

[@siempreenlucha4222]

Es un placer escuchar a un músico tan prodigioso. Gracias por darnos el usto de escucharle. Desde Coyoacán moreno, México

[@billbergendahl2911]

Beautiful!

[@C6H12B26]

Superbe ! Très, très beau ! Quel son ! Quelle virtuosité ! Quelle subtilité ! Quelle créativité ! On lève les deux pouces ! Que de chemin parcouru depuis ses déjà très beaux débuts auxquels j'ai assisté à Paris à une réunion de la Société Française de Luth ... Le luth est à la hauteur ; un Paul Thomson ! J'ai la même rosace (compter un bon supplément pour l'avoir ... tant elle est complexe) sur un excellent Stephen Murphy. Je l'ai obtenue pour me rapprocher du luth (parmi ses si nombreux instruments) fétiche de Paul O'dette en 8 choeurs de l'époque : également un Paul Thomson. Compter sans doute cinq années d'attente pour en avoir un sur commande, j'imagine ... Tel père, tel fils ... avec des cordes différentes à leurs arcs ... La dynastie (musicale) des Dunford est très, très belle !

[@alejandroherreradelaparra3977]

Ah... Dowland, the great. And this huge talented young artist. Thumbs up. Hat off...

[@MrShbbz]

just too good, excellent indeed, thank you!

[@thezorba1]

Fantastic rendition of Calata ala Sagnola!... wonderful stuff!... well done!

[@pilarizquierdo3542]

Genial laudista, El final "Tears in heaven" increíble. Bravísimo. Muchas gracias.

[@xavierlule7906]

Juste très beau…!

[@sergeciccone2657]

merci et bravo Monsieur Dunford

[@jeannehuyghe4502]

une magnifique sensibilité alliée à une grande maîtrise

[@mirzasalihefendic8258]

Thank you for sharing! Brilliant playing and beautiful to listen&watch together..🙌❤

[@jean-raymondliarcou1487]

Magnifique...thank you for your talent !

[@eduardoaosoriog]

Melancholy Galliard... absolutely sublime. Every time I listen to it, tears come to my eyes

[@satyamariasmith44]

MAJESTUOSO!! MARAVILLOSO!! Melodía Celestial. 🙏🙏🙏💕

[@micheldietsche4465]

Absolutely marvellous !

[@karlpoppins]

I find it a bit amusing that the right hand technique of the lute is so different from that of the classical guitar. Playing fast scales with _p_ and _i_ and treating _i_ similar to a plectrum is counter-intuitive to a classical guitarist, like myself, but I reckon it is a prerequisite for this unique phrasing that lutenists produce. Not to mention their lack of extended nails, which produces a smoother timbre. Having played some of these pieces on the classical guitar, they sound quite different from renditions such as this.

[@BlindObedienceBrutal]

Yes the technique is quite different and his finger movements, from the perspective of a lutenist, are flawless. I am just amazed to see it on camera; it is like everything the teachers tell you to do, but executed in real time before one's eyes.

[@strauchler.sebastian]

Super concert Thomas, congrats for your work!

[@freespirit995]

So wonderful!

[@garcilaso1971]

Un concierto bellísimo. Thomas Dunford es la primera referencia internacional de los instrumentos antiguos de cuerda pulsada.

[@angelikaseegers-classicalg8053]

Wonderful !! Thank you very much and BRAVO !

[@marctucciaronemusic7738]

What an incredible artist ! I was very moved by this performance Beautiful video too Thanks for sharing !

[@bessonovalexander9534]

Beautiful! Thanks for you!

[@carlosmacmartin4205]

Beautiful tone!

[@rajayikim9324]

just wonderful !!!!!!

[@nicolassarre8081]

Magnifique ! BRAVISSIMO !!!!

[@edwardruane8993]

Wonderful!

[@tatalito]

bravo bravo bravo et encore bravo Thomas !

[@juancar1lo373]

Sí, señor. Un gran laudista, con interpretaciones muy originales. Además, con un sonido potente y bello. Exquisito.

[@jthaw]

Magnificent!

[@sergejrotondo177]

Bravo Thomas, veramente bravo!!

[@MaestroRaro]

I would be happy to visit this concert! Wonderful atmosphere, excellent performance!

[@michaelreaper666]

So well played ... Thank you "the Wigmore Hall" ...for this .. :)

[@openreelrecords2667]

Fantastic performance! Bravo!

[@korriganelf8687]

Quel talent !!

[@HarpsichordVinylGallery]

Geweldig!

[@rogertebb1997]

So unutterably beautiful.

[@jacintogomezsando6706]

Una auténtica maravilla. Hay que seguir de cerca a Dunford

[@barriereluc8740]

Awesome!!

[@rossthemusicandguitarteacher]

Very athletic playing, love it

[@eugenetruc6437]

Merci pour ce jolie voyage Thomas. ;-)

[@sselfless]

36:41 is my favorite part of this whole beautiful thing

[@johnstickney7042]

Thomas is a fantastic lute player. Great tone, fluidity and phrasing

[@camilomejia8498]

thank you!!! : )

[@gtrmusic69]

This is awesome dude. Keep 'em coming.

[@dion1949]

The counter-tenor is a new one for me. Beautiful voice.

[@pascualodoghertycarame40]

Exquisita técnica y mucha verdad y delicadeza en la interpretación. Gran laudista.

[@nataliaecheverri7016]

Celestial ✨✨✨

[@djvycious]

Great performance Thomas! Although I started playing guitar with fantasies of performing slick glam-rock solos, I've developed a special love for the music of Dowland and spend more and more time learning his music arranged for guitar. I love that you included O Mia Barbara, which is one of my favourites.

[@ivanquinto6380]

Que exquisito!

[@capricornio3278]

Excelente 👏👏🎶🍷

[@franzharting2268]

Wunderschön!!

[@syntheticperson]

Cool

[@ignacioperez-victoria4356]

Amazing as allways master Dunford. Those lutes (the renaissance and the archlute) have a resonance and volume which I had never listened before. I'm sure that comes for your excellent and powerfull technique, from the nice acoustic of the concert hall (as you mentioned), the quality of the recording and the instruments themselves. It would be great if you could let us know who the makers of the lute and the archlute are and also the type of strings you employ (material and tension). Keep delighting us with such incredible performances! Thanks a lot