Lachrimae, or Seaven Teares

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The Lachrimae pavans form the English Renaissance composer John Dowland's most famous instrumental work. It is a set of seven pieces written for five viols and lute, each of them a variation on the tune of the composer's celebrated ayre, "Flow my tears".

The collection was published in London in 1604 as Lachrimae or seaven teares, figured in seaven passionate pavans, with divers other pavans, galliards and allemands, set forth for the lute, viols or violins, in five parts, when Dowland was lutenist to Christian IV of Denmark. Each of the Lachrimae pavans was given its own title by the composer, though the significance of each is uncertain.

Lachrimae Antiquae (lat. Old tears) already existed as a lute solo.

Lachrimae Antiquae Novae (lat. Old tears renewed) is a harmonic parody of Lachrimae Antiquae.

Lachrimae Gementes (lat. Sighing tears)

Lachrimae Tristes (lat. Sad tears)

Lachrimae Coctae (lat. Forced tears) is a harmonic parody of Lachrimae Tristes.

Lachrimae Amantis (lat. A Lover's tears)

Lachrimae Verae (lat. True tears)

The title page of the publication is adorned with a latin epigram: 'Aut Furit, aut Lachrimat, quem non Fortunata beavit' ('He whom Fortune has not blessed either rages or weeps').

The "divers other" compositions included in the Lachrimae publication are: "Semper Dowland semper Dolens", "Sir Henry Umptons Funeral", "M.John Langton's Pavan", "The King of Denmark's Galliard", "The Earl of Essex Galliard" (dedicated to Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex), "Sir John Souch his Galliard", "M.Henry Noel his Galliard", "M.Giles Hobies his Galiard", "M.Nicholas Gryffith his Galliard", "M.Thomas Collier his Galliard with 2 Trebles", "Captain Digorie Piper his Galliard", "M.Bucton's Galliard", "Mistress Nichol's Allemand" and "M.George Whitehead his Almand".

[edit] References

Peter Holman with Paul O'Dette. "John Dowland", Grove Music, ed. L. Macy. ISBN 0-333-60800-3
Peter Holman, Dowland: Lachrimae (1604), ISBN-13: 9780521581967
John Dowland, Lachrimae.