Songs from the Labyrinth

• Album Summary
• Notes & Reviews
• Also Purchased
• Works Details

Album Summary

Performers

• Sting (Spoken Vocals)
• Edin Karamazov (Lute)
• Edin Karamazov (Archlute)
• Sting (Archlute)

Composers

• Robert Johnson (Renaissance Composer 2) (circa 1583 - 1633)
• John Dowland (1563 - 1626)

Notes & Reviews:

This autumn Sting ventures into "new" musical territory with an album featuring the music of acclaimed Elizabethan songwriter, John Dowland (1563-1626). Sting is joined on this recording by much-admired lutenist Edin Karamazov, in what he describes as "a soundtrack to Dowland's life in words and music". Songs from the Labyrinth will appear on Deutsche Grammophon, the world's most celebrated classical-music record-label. It is extracts from this extraordinary letter which Sting incorporates into this album as short recitations, re-creating a flavour of Dowland's life and times. Sting said "This project was never really meant to be a record. It was a labour of love. I wanted to learn these songs, and out of curiosity, Edin and I just kept going. I think it only became a record when we decided to put extracts of this letter in. Those that are familiar with John Dowland normally think of him as being this melancholy, doom-laden character; but he can write songs that are absolutely joyful - full of passion and happiness. He has it all." Sting continues, "I'm not a trained singer for this repertoire, but I'm hoping that I can bring some freshness to these songs that perhaps a more experienced singer wouldn't give. For me they are pop songs written around 1600 and I relate to them in that way; beautiful melodies, fantastic lyrics, and great accompaniments."

Notes & Reviews:

Personnel: Sting (vocals, archlute); Edin Karamazov (lute, archlute).

Recording information: metropolis Studios, London, England; Steerpike Studios, II Palagio, Italy.

It probably would have been difficult, circa 1978, for fans of the Police's bouncy, ska-inflected new wave to conceive that Sting, circa 2006, would release an album of madrigals written in the late 1500s and early 1600s by Renaissance composer John Dowland. Yet Sting has always been musically adventurous and possessed of highbrow notions, as his eclectic solo career in the intervening years demonstrated. In a way, Sting's musical journey to Elizabethan England comes as no surprise.

SONGS FROM THE LABYRINTH does not mix pop or genre elements with Dowland's compositions. Instead, this music is faithful to the originals in spirit and sound, and historically accurate in execution and instrumentation. Sting sings, plays guitar and is joined by lutenist Edin Karamazov on a set of Dowland's haunting, minor-key madrigals with their equally haunting lyrics. Instrumental interludes and spoken readings from Dowland's letters are interspersed throughout, and while the exercise may not be to everyone's taste, it is further testament to the stylistic range and ambition of this 20th-century pop icon.

REVIEWS:

Rolling Stone (p.124) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Sting tables his ponderous lower range and invests these crack tunes with skill and soul."

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Works Details

Dowland, John : Walsingham, song arranged for lute, P 67

• Performers: Sting (Spoken Vocals); Edin Karamazov (Lute); Edin Karamazov (Archlute)
• Period Time: Renaissance
• Written: by 1626

Dowland, John : Can she excuse, P 42

• Performers: Sting (Spoken Vocals); Edin Karamazov (Lute); Edin Karamazov (Archlute)
• Running Time: 2 min. 35 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance
• Form: Choral
• Written: 1597
• Language: English

Dowland, John : Letters (correspondence with family and friends) :: "Right honorable

• Performers: Sting (Spoken Vocals); Edin Karamazov (Archlute); Edin Karamazov (Lute)
• Period Time: Renaissance

Dowland, John : Lachrimae or Seaven Teares

• Performers: Edin Karamazov (Archlute); Edin Karamazov (Lute); Sting (Spoken Vocals)
• Running Time: 4 min. 42 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance
• Written: by 1600
• Language: English

Johnson, Robert (II) : Have you seen but a white lily grow?

• Performers: Sting (Spoken Vocals); Edin Karamazov (Archlute); Edin Karamazov (Lute)
• Running Time: 2 min. 35 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance
• Written: 1616
• Language: English

Dowland, John : Letters (correspondence with family and friends) :: "...Then in time passing Mr. Johnson died..." (Let

• Performers: Sting (Spoken Vocals); Edin Karamazov (Lute); Edin Karamazov (Archlute)
• Period Time: Renaissance

Dowland, John : King of Denmark, his Galliard, P 40

• Performers: Edin Karamazov (Lute); Sting (Spoken Vocals); Edin Karamazov (Archlute)
• Running Time: 3 min. 1 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance
• Written: by 1626

Dowland, John : Third and Last Booke of Songes

• Performers: Edin Karamazov (Archlute); Edin Karamazov (Lute); Sting (Spoken Vocals)
• Running Time: 2 min. 16 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance
• Written: 1603
• Language: English

Dowland, John : Letters (correspondence with family and friends) :: "...And accordinge as I desired ther cam a letter

• Performers: Edin Karamazov (Lute); Sting (Spoken Vocals); Edin Karamazov (Archlute)
• Period Time: Renaissance

Dowland, John : Second Booke of Songes or Ayres

• Performers: Edin Karamazov (Lute); Edin Karamazov (Archlute); Sting (Spoken Vocals)
• Running Time: 1 min. 50 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance
• Form: Choral
• Written: by 1600
• Language: English

Dowland, John : Letters (correspondence with family and friends) :: "...From thenc I went to the Landgrave of Hessen..

• Performers: Edin Karamazov (Archlute); Edin Karamazov (Lute); Sting (Spoken Vocals)
• Period Time: Renaissance

Dowland, John : Work(s) :: Fantasy

• Performers: Edin Karamazov (Archlute); Edin Karamazov (Lute); Sting (Spoken Vocals)
• Running Time: 2 min. 42 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance

Dowland, John : Firste Booke of Songes

• Performers: Edin Karamazov (Archlute); Sting (Spoken Vocals); Edin Karamazov (Lute)
• Running Time: 3 min. 45 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance
• Written: by 1597
• Language: English

Dowland, John : Forlorn Hope Fancy

• Performers: Edin Karamazov (Archlute); Edin Karamazov (Lute); Sting (Spoken Vocals)
• Running Time: 3 min. 7 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance

Dowland, John : Letters (correspondence with family and friends) :: "...And from thence I had great desire to see Ital

• Performers: Sting (Spoken Vocals); Edin Karamazov (Archlute); Sting (Archlute); Edin Karamazov (Lute)
• Period Time: Renaissance

Dowland, John : Come Again

• Performers: Edin Karamazov (Lute); Edin Karamazov (Archlute); Sting (Spoken Vocals)
• Running Time: 2 min. 56 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance
• Written: 1597
• Language: English

Dowland, John : Wilt thou unkind thus reave me of my heart, for 4 voices & lute (First Book of Songs)

• Performers: Sting (Spoken Vocals); Edin Karamazov (Lute); Edin Karamazov (Archlute)
• Running Time: 2 min. 40 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance
• Written: 1597
• Language: English

Dowland, John : Letters (correspondence with family and friends) :: "...After my departure I caled to mynde our confer

• Performers: Edin Karamazov (Lute); Sting (Spoken Vocals); Edin Karamazov (Archlute)
• Period Time: Renaissance

Dowland, John : Third and Last Booke of Songes

• Performers: Edin Karamazov (Archlute); Edin Karamazov (Lute); Sting (Spoken Vocals)
• Running Time: 2 min. 38 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance
• Written: by 1603
• Language: English

Dowland, John : My Lord Willobes Wellcome Home, P 66

• Performers: Edin Karamazov (Archlute); Edin Karamazov (Lute); Sting (Spoken Vocals); Sting (Archlute)
• Running Time: 1 min. 34 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance
• Written: by 1626

Dowland, John : Clear or cloudy sweet as Aprill showring, for 4 voices & lute (Second Book of Songs)

• Performers: Edin Karamazov (Archlute); Edin Karamazov (Lute); Sting (Spoken Vocals)
• Running Time: 2 min. 47 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance
• Written: 1600
• Language: English

Dowland, John : Letters (correspondence with family and friends) :: "...men say that the Kinge of Spain is making grea

• Performers: Sting (Spoken Vocals); Edin Karamazov (Lute); Edin Karamazov (Archlute)
• Running Time: 1 min. 1 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance

Dowland, John : In darkness let mee dwell

• Performers: Edin Karamazov (Archlute); Edin Karamazov (Lute); Sting (Spoken Vocals)
• Running Time: 4 min. 12 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance
• Written: 1610
• Language: English