During the Renaissance era, culture was rapidly being reborn all over the world. Religious beliefs started spreading and transforming into new ideas, society was changing and the new world would soon dance to a new tune; the lute song. Focus was shifting away from God and toward the self, music was reaching its peak in the secular realm, and the status of the musician was on the rise.
John Dowland, born in 1563 in Westminster, England, was a renowned composer, virtuoso lutenist, skilled singer, and one of the most famous and celebrated musician of his time. He attained his bachelor degree in music from the University of Oxford in 1588. During his lifetime he suffered dismissal for unsatisfactory conduct from Christian IV of Denmark, and rejection…show more content… Lute-like instruments were played in Mesopotamia as early as 2000 B.C. and in Egypt as early as 1500 B.C. This ancient instrument did not find its way to Europe until 900 A.D. and by the end of the Middle Ages, lutes had been picking up steam as part of instrumental ensembles as well as accompaniment to solo singers. It’s known to be the most eloquent of all solo instruments. It has a pear shaped back and light stringing because thick strings would cause too much tension on the wood and it would be subject to snapping. It falls out of tune extremely easily, so the players of the lute spend a lot of time simply tuning their instrument. Originally it was played with a quill or plectrum, which was like a modern day pick, but during the 15th century lutenists abandoned those and started strumming with their fingertips. Doing so allowed players to play up to four lines of music simultaneously, expanding its potential dramatically. It became the central instrument around which chamber music was written and was held in high regard because of its soft and intimate resonance. This little instrument became the symbol of both magic and power in regards to music because of its ability to play polyphonic, homophonic, and monophonic music. Between its portability, range of uses, and popularity; lute music was easily taking the continent by storm. The period between 1580 and 1620 has been called the Golden Age of the English lute. Unfortunately, the popularity of this wondrous instrument began to fall during the seventeenth century, and soon the lute song would no longer dominate
