572178bk Johnson US 17/8/10 13:15 Page 4 Nigel North Born in London, Nigel North has been Professor of Lute at the Early Music Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington since 1999. Initially inspired into music, at the age of seven, by the early 1960s instrumental pop group The Shadows, he studied classical music through the Robert violin and guitar, eventually discovering his real path in life, the lute, when he was fifteen. Basically self taught on the lute, he has since JOHNSON 1976 developed a unique musical life which embraces activities as a teacher, accompanist, soloist, director and writer. His principal music passions apart from teaching are accompanying singers, the solo lute repertoires of Elizabethan England and late German Baroque music of Bach and Weiss. Recordings include a 4 CD box set Bach on the Lute (Linn Records) and 4 CDs of the Lute Music of John Dowland (Naxos The Prince’s 8.557586, 8.557862, 8.570449 and 8.570284). Photograph: Sophie North Almain and other Dances for Lute Nigel North, Lute 8.572178 4 572178bk Johnson US 17/8/10 13:15 Page 2 Robert Johnson (c. 1583–1633) contemporaries such as Ferrabosco, with its tightly same hall in 1611, had an antimasque which contained Lute Music woven counterpoint. Sadly Johnson left us only one. He The Fairies’ Dance and The Satyre’s Dance. The lute was most prolific in the Almain, leaving us ten version of the latter has not survived so the recorded The illustrious dedicatee of The Prince’s Almain is (also known as Lord Hunsdon) who oversaw his examples. These highly tuneful dances most reflect version is my own reconstruction. In the masque proper Henry, Prince of Wales (1594-1612) and son of King education, including music. In 1597 Carey became the Johnson’s more modern musical style suited to the of Oberon a contemporary account mentions “XX Lutes James I. The Prince’s untimely death at the age of Lord Chamberlain to Elizabeth and was the patron of the lighter tastes admired at the court. provided by Mr Johnson for the Princes Dance”. These eighteen was felt by many people as a great tragedy for acting company (known as The Lord Chamberlaine’s The English court Masque was primarily an dances were most probably the First, Second and Third England as Henry showed the promise of being an Men, later called The King’s Men) of which Shakespeare entertainment for those at court, the royal family and Dances in the Prince’s Masque. The Noble Man comes intelligent, well-rounded future monarch. Had he lived, was a member. This created a strong artistic influence on those close to them. Often the courtiers and the royal from the Masque of the Middle Temple and Lincoln’s English history would have been very different. The Johnson, who went on to write songs and music for this family, including the young Prince Henry, were given Inn by George Chapman, performed in Whitehall in lutenist Robert Johnson, less famous today, was an company including plays by Shakespeare, Beaumont rôles to play. Masques were a unique allegorical blend 1613. esteemed musician at the courts of both Prince Henry and Fletcher, and Webster. of speech, dance, music and song, lavish affairs on Robert Johnson’s lute music must have been well and King James. Johnson’s most popular piece, Johnson’s surviving lute music is a small collection which much money was spent. Robert Johnson was a known in court music circles. We find several surviving in over sixteen versions, was The Prince’s of around 24 pieces. Early works for seven-course lute prominent member of the court’s “lute and voices” and arrangements for keyboard, some anonymous and others Almain, written for his pupil, Prince Henry. include the two Galliards and some of the Almains, most he worked side by side with poets such as Ben Jonson by Farnaby. In all cases, without exception, the arranger A generation later, Thomas Mace opens his book likely written before he joined the court of James I in and Thomas Campion in these multifaceted events. has transposed the lute originals up a tone, presumably Musick’s Monument (1676), with a dialogue between 1604. The style of these early pieces is a little Johnson’s main contributions to the Masque were as a to make it more convenient for the keyboard. The lute himself and the Lute. In mourning the loss of the earlier reminiscent of John Dowland in their use of melody, performer in the “lute band”, and as a composer of dance pieces existing in keyboard versions include The Golden Age of lute music of which Robert Johnson was divisions and texture. Soon, however, Johnson music. This has come down to us in two forms, original Prince’s Almain, several other Almains, The Prince’s the last great lutenist, the Lute shows the significance of developed his own mature style represented in four five-part ensemble versions and anonymous lute Coranto and a Pavan (set by Farnaby). This Pavan (No. Johnson’s contribution with his comments: Pavans and the Fantasie. Most of his later works are arrangements. Most likely the five-part versions are the 4) has not survived in its original lute version, so I have found in three great English manuscript sources for “originals” and the lute versions came later. extracted a new lute version from Farnaby’s Despair I do: Old Dowland he is Dead; R Johnson too: nine- or ten-course lute (British Library: Ms. 38359, There are three masques with which Johnson was arrangement. Two famous Men; Great Masters in My Art: known as the M.L. lute book; Fitzwilliam Museum, associated. The Masque of Queens by Ben Jonson, In each of Them I had more than One Part, Cambridge: Lord Herbert of Cherbury’s Lute Book; performed in 1609 at the Banqueting Hall in Whitehall, Or Two, or Three; Royal Academy of Music, London: Margaret Board which contained Johnson’s The Witches’ Dance. Lute Book). Another Ben Jonson masque, Oberon, performed in the © Nigel North, 2010 There were two pairs of father and son lutenists in Although Robert Johnson relies upon the old forms London and I have often wondered how they may have of Pavan, Galliard, Almain and Fantasie, his use of the influenced each other. John Johnson, lutenist to Queen instrument exploits the extreme ranges of the nine- Elizabeth I from 1581 until his death in 1594, represents course lute. In contrast to his father’s style, or even John the earliest generation. Johnson would have known, Dowland’s, Robert Johnson’s music is more “baroque” perhaps played with, and even taught John Dowland in that it is lyrical, expansive and often in two polarised (1562-1623), who was one generation later. Was it a voices. The Pavans and the Fantasie demonstrate his coincidence that they both had sons named Robert who excellent contrapuntal skills. Pavan No. 1 has divisions became court lutenists? Robert Dowland (c. 1590- written by the composer, while the Pavan No. 3 has no Instrument used in the recording: c. 1640) must have had some lute tuition from his father, surviving divisions. The two extant copies, however, 10 course lute, after Hans Frei, by Lars Jönsson, Dalarö, Sweden, 2005. whom he also succeeded at court in 1626. Robert have many graces and I have embellished the repeats Pitch : A 392 Johnson (c. 1583-1633) was born a little earlier than with these graces – a performance practice which was Robert Dowland and had a more successful life as taken up later in the century. Pavan No. 2 has divisions All pieces are edited by Nigel North from original manuscript sources composer and lutenist than did his Dowland namesake. which I felt were not good enough to be Johnson’s, so I except tracks 14 and 17 which have been reconstructed by Nigel North. Following the death of his father in 1594, Robert preferred to add my own. The sublime Fantasie is Johnson was taken under the care of Sir George Carey reminiscent of viol consort fantasies written by 8.572178 2 3 8.572178 572178bk Johnson US 17/8/10 13:15 Page 2 Robert Johnson (c. 1583–1633) contemporaries such as Ferrabosco, with its tightly same hall in 1611, had an antimasque which contained Lute Music woven counterpoint. Sadly Johnson left us only one. He The Fairies’ Dance and The Satyre’s Dance. The lute was most prolific in the Almain, leaving us ten version of the latter has not survived so the recorded The illustrious dedicatee of The Prince’s Almain is (also known as Lord Hunsdon) who oversaw his examples. These highly tuneful dances most reflect version is my own reconstruction. In the masque proper Henry, Prince of Wales (1594-1612) and son of King education, including music. In 1597 Carey became the Johnson’s more modern musical style suited to the of Oberon a contemporary account mentions “XX Lutes James I. The Prince’s untimely death at the age of Lord Chamberlain to Elizabeth and was the patron of the lighter tastes admired at the court. provided by Mr Johnson for the Princes Dance”. These eighteen was felt by many people as a great tragedy for acting company (known as The Lord Chamberlaine’s The English court Masque was primarily an dances were most probably the First, Second and Third England as Henry showed the promise of being an Men, later called The King’s Men) of which Shakespeare entertainment for those at court, the royal family and Dances in the Prince’s Masque.