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GRAMOPHONE (07/2025)
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Paradizo  PA0022 

Code barres / Barcode :0865462000483

Reviewer :  David Fallows

Skip Sempé’s approach to the Lachrimae is to transfer it to what he calls a Renaissance Orchestra: two cornetti and three sackbuts, five viols, five recorders and three harpsichords. Dowland was actually quite specific here, saying it was for ‘lute, viols or violins’, but Sempé argues that this may have been just a gimmick to sell books and that any ensemble can be used. The trouble is that when the cornetti and sackbuts are playing more or less everything else disappears, particularly under the endless embellishments of Doron Sherwin as the lead cornetto. 

M John Langtons Pavan (track 10) is the first time we hear strings alone, but only for a bit: the first piece played entirely by strings is Lachrimae amantis (track 18) and absolutely without any of the embellishments the musicians find necessary in the remaining tracks. It is a refreshing sound, beautifully controlled (but no trace of the lute part that the alltime master of lute music carefully added). 

Later on we hear the recorders alone, and they too sound lovely. 

Sempé also follows the lead of several other recordings in jumbling up the sequence of pieces, basically following each pavan with a galliard and bunging in the two almands where they do the least possible damage. Since there seems to be no obvious material in common between any of the pavans and galliards, there is no rational way of joining them in this way. But it is harmless unless you prefer Dowland’s ordering. 

To be clear, though: all the performers here are on the highest international level. The problem is mainly with the balance and with what seems to me gratuitous son et lumière scoring.

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