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Songs from the Labyrinth | 
 enlarge | Creators: John Dowland, Sting, Edin Karamazov
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy Used: $3.46
You Save: $15.52 (82%)
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Rating:  183 reviews
Sales Rank: 3930
Format: Live
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.7 x 0.4
MPN: 000722002
UPC: 602517051119
EAN: 0602517051119
ASIN: B000HXDESU
Release Date: October 10, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Walsingham | | • | Can she excuse my wrongs? | | • | Ryght honorable: as I have bin most bounde unto your honor | | • | Flow my tears | | • | Have you seen the bright lily grow | | • | Then in time passing on Mr. Johnson died | | • | The Most High and Mighty Christianus the Fourth, King of Denmark | | • | The lowest trees have tops | | • | And accordinge as I desired ther cam a letter | | • | Fine knacks for ladies | | • | From thenc I went to the Landgrave of Hessen | | • | Fantasy | | • | Come, heavy sleep | | • | Forlorn Hope Fancy | | • | And from thence I had great desire to see Italy | | • | Come again | | • | Wilt thou unkind thus reave me | | • | After my departure I caled to mynde our conference | | • | Weep you no more, sad fountains | | • | My Lord Willoughbys Welcome Home | | • | Clear or cloudy | | • | Men say that the Kinge of Spain is making gret preparation | | • | In darkness let me dwell |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
In choosing to cover the music of John Dowland (1563-1626), who is known as the "melancholy madrigalist" from his output of cheerful ditties like "Flow My Tears," Police bandleader Sting has entered into a whole new realm of austere eeriness. Originally inspired by the gift of a lute, the rock superstar and activist sings the songs, deliciously sweet and tender or spirited by turn, accompanying himself, with Edin Karamazov sitting on lute and archlute. For listeners accustomed to hearing material of this period interpreted by rigorously trained early music stylists, especially countertenors and the like, Sting's sometimes tight-jawed, chest-heavy vocals may seem amateurish. It's undeniable that in four-part harmonies, the singer, tightly overdubbed, comes across like a combination of the Swingle Singers and Queen (meaning Freddy Mercury and crew, NOT the first Elizabeth). But it's important to remember that music of this period was routinely heard as a casual diversion in private homes, even more often than at Court. It was considered a crucial social skill to be able to join in with an adequate degree of skill, but not everyone was able to negotiate the perilous melodic twists and turns typical of the era's music. With this in mind, the overall effect is of a candle-lit, postprandial entertainment in the home of an English gentleman. Muttered readings from Dowland's letters and brief snippets of sampled birdsong aside, it is a courageous effort, displaying heartfelt admiration for the composer and a considerable degree of earnest charm. --Christina Roden
Album Description
StingA's Songs From The Labyrinth is an album of 17th century music composed by John Dowland and performed on the lute, an ancient acoustic guitar. After being given a lute nearly two years ago as a gift, Sting became fascinated and immersed himself with the instrument and the history of lute music. Reminded of his almost 25 year long enthrallment with the works of John Dowland, the Elizabethan composer who wrote songs for the lute, Sting has recorded a new album of vocal and lute music. All songs were composed by Dowland in the 17th century, but have been given new life in these fresh new recordings by Sting. Sting not only sings all the songs (accompanied by leading lutenist Edin Karamasov, who appears on two Andreas Scholl albums), but also plays lute on two instrumental duets with Edin and reads short extracts from a fascinating autobiographical letter by Dowland. Sting has also written a brilliant account of the album's genesis, along with notes on the individual tracks, which serves as the CD booklet.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 178 more reviews...
 Sting meets Dowland halfway January 4, 2009
If I did not hold Sting's 2006 Deutsche Grammophon recording of the 16-17th centuries' John Dowland's lute-accompanied music in my hands, I would not believe that the British rock star had truly attempted to pull this one off.
But I do, and he has.
And not to bad effect, either. Unlike may Sting critics who seem to think the man should stay in his rut, I admire his constant rebellion against the artistic expectations to which we admirers of his art may want to hold him. I like his audacious impertinence.
I just didn't expect *this*.
Yet Sting being Sting is rarely a bad thing, not least here. His 'unschooled tenor', as he puts it, may in some respects sound more like Dowland's work would have in the 17th century than how we'd expect it to flow in the 20th. But leaving that point aside, Sting is a great narrator.
What he has accomplished in this unlikely CD is to narrate the Dowland phenomenon for many of us who would otherwise never have known him or his art. Sting's recitations of Dowland's letter (one critic unjustly calls it 'murmured') are actually my favorite part of the album's 23 tracks.
You may want quickly to return to Sting and/or the Police doing what they do best. That will be quite all right. But don't miss what the man can do once in a while down at the end of a blind alley.
A pleasant departure for Sting December 2, 2008
Ok, so the first thing you have to understand is that this is not typical Sting. He is stepping out of the box, both musically and historically. Once you get past that and understand the music for what it is, you will appreciate that it is a good collection. This music was from the time of Queen Elizabeth I, so when you're listening to it, think of the movie with Gwenyth Paltrow or the Showtime series The Tudors...it makes more sense.
Fascinating album November 17, 2008
Sting's foray into Renaissance music is fascinating for a number of reasons. He doesn't have the voice that one associates with singers of madrigals: one thinks of college and university vocal ensembles, small groups of near-professional choral singers, etc. Then one remembers that in Dowland's day, as in our own, people of "average" voice also sang this kind of music -- musicke, if you will: recall some of the complicated hymnody that is still sung in Anglican churches around the world. The string work is absolutely beautiful, of course, and it contrasts, nicely, in the end, with the voice, which in this case has not been developed to what we would expect to hear. If you ever wondered what "you" would sound like singing this kind of music, listen to Sting sing it, then have a go yourself. This album is a reminder that great art from all periods belongs to everyone; that professionalism in one realm does not necessarily translate into professionalism in all realms; and that there is still room in life for the amateur, in the true sense of the word: for one who does what one does, for better or not, simply because one loves it. We are all in Sting's debt for this album.
Sting's versions here more authentic? September 11, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'm no musicologist, but perhaps this album brings up an interesting point.
Consider for a moment, how quiet and intimate string instruments were from this time. The strong, operatic voices commonly employed today for this early music are more at home in large concert halls, not intimate gatherings. In most recordings of Dowland's music you can barely hear the lute because the voice is so powerful in comparison.
I wonder if quieter, "pop" style voices like Sting's were the norm during this period. Perhaps, as instruments became louder, and the venues for hearing them larger, the more powerful-voiced operatic style developed and became the norm.
It would be very odd if vocals did not change over hundreds of years, while instruments certainly did.
Maybe Sting's versions here are more authentic than what is considered "authentic" today.
 there was a time when 'classical' music was new as well August 28, 2008
I really like the music on this CD and that includes the spoken parts. It is meaningful in a way that the English tend to capture very well, the intersection or overlapping of happy feelings and tragedy.
I have been biased towards Sting for a long time but especially since his song 'russians' which captures some difficult times I had around 1985.
but thankfully the Cold War is over.
interestingly enough, I have an Irish last name and I used to have an English housemate who feared that I supported the IRA. Growing up in a military family I understood the basis for his concern but I said, don't worry about it. terror is not something I endorse.
which is my way of saying that times change but basic human patterns of thought and passion remain eternal. inferior artists either ignore context altogether or they record CDs that are so topical that they are forgotten when the issues of the day have been resolved.
I think it is much better to preserve an understanding of context and also express oneself in a human way. that means the notes are not going to be perfect b/c that is not how life, or performance, works.
there is a kind of airbrushed sterile perfection to a lot of classical performances - far from all of them - but they require a truly monumental level of student and teacher discipline and years and years and years of endless
training
and
grinding hard work
so that the performance can be unnaturally perfect.
the feminist, Naomi Wolf, has criticized female ideals of beauty in the beauty myth. someone should do the same for classical performances.
that the music is excellent and in general so are the students and teachers but the demand for perfection leads to an airbrushed glossiness combined with lack of error that is just not seen in nature. or in 'naturally' acting human beings.
and that turns a lot of people away from classical music as well as music in general.
so this CD is about hearing music performed very well but with a kind of flawed imperfection that is genuine. b/c we are not robots.
given that, I think the playing is excellent; this is a very interesting and unusual choice of composer to study; I really like the music, and the singing is good.
to me there is everything to like unless life has to be a perfect performance.
this is not the familiar criticism of excellence versus a more human mistake.
this is me saying that the excesses of musical performance will alienate everyone except those few capable of doing the just-about-impossible.
devotees of classical music are digging their own graves with that approach. attendance at concerts has fallen off a cliff and that is as it should be, imo. the focus and dedication required to produce this resembles child abuse in too many cases.
that is why alternatives such as Sting's recording are badly needed.
what we now call 'classical' used to be new and fresh. it also provoked controversy. as this CD has done.
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