Now o now I needs must part - John Dowland / Ensemble Phoenix Munich with Emma Kirkby

[@kennethkyntale5152]

Emma Kirkby-the woman who made all of us fall in love with the English Renaissance!

[@captebbtide]

The lute player has a marvelous voice!

[@ensemblephoenixmunich2210]

Thank you! The singing lute player, Joel

[@BarrocoeBrahms]

Dear Dame Emma Kirkby, what a beautiful and pure voice, still one of the best of early music!!

[@lucamassenziopalermo3140]

Emma, listening to your voice is always the making of a dream. As you know, we know each other for many many years, but you and your tunes are constantly the perfection. Luca the painter

[@DaveyL1954]

No computers. No electric, just 50 million tons of talent.

[@ensemblephoenixmunich2210]

Yes, we are really low tech:-)! The natural voice and the instruments without amplification. Thank you for your comment!

[@michelepoletti8208]

Très belle interprétation. Et beau duo entre Kirkby et le luthiste...

[@ensemblephoenixmunich2210]

@@michelepoletti8208 Merci beaucoup, Michele!

[@dann6952]

Very beautiful.

[@cesarlopezg.908]

Fantástico. Preciosa pieza.

[@ensemblephoenixmunich2210]

@@cesarlopezg.908 Gracias!!

[@garybetts5495]

Dame Emma Kirkby is always amazing, and this is no exception!

[@goblondie]

beautiful

[@suzannederringer1607]

Very nice indeed! So glad MS. Kirkby ornamented the repeated Stanzas.

[@gretchendandrea6181]

never get sick of this version. Love it!

[@rossella1805]

❤❤❤

[@XatxiFly]

Kickass!!

[@TheOktavismChannel]

Wonderful!

[@thetowerfantasymusic]

Amazing overall performance Joel. And with many renditions out there always having a slow tempo, a fast one helps distinguish the tune and gives it more life in my opinion.

[@goblondie]

its really refreshing,,love it

[@goblondie]

love it

[@seaotter4439]

Now, O now, I needs must part, Parting though I absent mourn. Absence can no joy impart: Joy once fled cannot return. While I live I needs must love, Love lives not when Hope is gone. Now at last Despair doth prove, Love divided loveth none. Sad despair doth drive me hence, This despair unkindness sends. If that parting be offence, It is she which then offends. Dear, when I am from thee gone, Gone are all my joys at once. I loved thee and thee alone, In whose love I joyed once. And although your sight I leave, Sight wherein my joys do lie, Till that death do sense bereave, Never shall affection die. Dear, if I do not return Love and I shall die together, For my absence never mourn, Whom you might have joyèd ever. Part we must, though now I die. Die I do to part with you. Him despair doth cause to lie, Who both lived and died true.

[@senna6773]

Nothing like a pure soprano voice and a TRUE male voice. Nothing like those who sing with a Mickey Mouse voice.

[@ensemblephoenixmunich2210]

Thank you, Senna!

[@teacherjames5883]

Who gave a thumbs down???

[@RolandStrykala]

i hear a new quality of baroque music

[@XatxiFly]

I like to sing the alto part and pretend I'm in a trio with these vocalists :3

[@thetowerfantasymusic]

Same

[@ellenmaccarrone4936]

Wish there were cc for the lyrics. Can't really understand them very well, despite being a naive English speaker.

[@shaihulud69]

Now, o now, I needs must part Parting though I absent mourn Absence can no joy impart Joy once fled cannot return While I live I needs must love Love lives not when hope is gone Now at last despair doth prove Love divided loveth none Sad despair doth drive me hence This despair unkindness sends If that parting be offence It is she which then offends Dear, when I from thee am gone Gone are all my joys at once I loved thee and thee alone In whose love I joyed once And although your sight I leave Sight wherein my joys do lie Till that death do sense bereave Never shall affection die Sad despair doth drive me hence This despair unkindness sends If that parting be offence It is she which then offends

[@rinusspranger9804]

shaihulu1

[@MCDreng]

Once you have heard the proper Early Modern English pronunciation the only thing you notice in Modern English performances is how poorly it rhymes. That being said a lovely duo of voices and sublime playing. This is one of my favorite Dowland tunes.

[@turtlebayster]

good players, why dost thou make so much haste?

[@Chris.Tian60]

To perform this song in a fast way is much more appealing to me personally than the slow versions, which sometimes lead to an exaggerated theatricality and make the audience sleepy.

[@BethDiane]

For baroque music, this would be an appropriate tempo, because it's at about the pace at which one would recite the text. On the other hand, strictly speaking, this is renaissance music, and specifically a galliard, which is a leaping dance. It exists in the lute solo version, where the ornamented repeats dictate a slower tempo than this. But I think it works.

[@BethDiane]

@maseratic boychik Try speaking the text aloud. It wouldn't make much sense to say it much slower than this. And don't believe me, believe Dowland. We know that this tune is a galliard, because, as with many of his lute songs, Dowland himself himself published the same music as a lute song, a lute solo, and for consort. All the instrumental versions are called "The Frog Galliard."

[@hannesheinz720]

Very fast...!

[@ensemblephoenixmunich2210]

Hi Hannes, Thanks for the comment! This piece is known as the Frog Galliard in instrumental sources. Although the text might suggest to some a slower tempo, our interpretation brings out the French Galliard (normally a fast dance) aspect. There were no metronome markings in the Renaissance, so we can't know how Dowland would have wanted it exactly, but I suspect he might have liked our tempo very much:-)! Happy 2021! Joel

[@captebbtide]

Great song, Emma's so talented, the tempo's too fast. This could be called "Breaking up is hard to do" - Renaissance style!