Jean Rondeau plays Orlando Gibbons on original 16th-century virginal (Pavana)

This stately pavane by Orlando Gibbons draws influence from his fellow countryman Dowland’s Lachrimae, “Flow, my tears“. Both pieces are presented in Jean Rondeau’s newest album, Melancholy Grace. Discover: “In 1596 John Dowland sowed a melodic seed … cultivating fame for a song that would have considerable impact in England throughout the period of burgeoning musical activity that coincided with the end of Elizabeth I’s reign and the post-Elizabethan era. ... This song is an emblem, a signature. Its title is ‘Flow, my tears’. It is Dowland’s Lachrimae. A musical shape repeated, rewritten, improvised, a melody embedded in the creative collective. It will not fade – it lingers and resonates.“ – Jean Rondeau Here, he records on a 16th-century Florentine arpicordo, or polygonal virginal (a compact harpsichord), produced around 1575 by an unknown maker, possibly Francesco Poggi. __________ Warner Classics ► Website: http://www.