Sting - Come Again (John Dowland)

[purpleraven888]

The comments about Sting possibly being more authentic than more "mannered" singers such as Alfred Deller (whom I adore nevertheless) do bear consideration.

[atomicwave]

9 peoples hearts take no delight. 

[luxor1987]

i feel like this is what Dowland might have actually intended his music to sound like... and for all the people out there, that criticize Sting for not being classical enough: my classical vocal teacher recommended this to me, because he shows an AMAZING ability to carry a phrase with an ongoing energy which is astounding, yet it seems effortless. well done.

[TaterGumfries]

@luxor1987 That's right. It's a love song speakin heart to heart. Ain't meant to be fancy, just plain, and Sting does it just right.

[davehshs]

I strongly suspect that singers of the early 17th century sounded a great deal more like Sting than like today's classically trained performers of early music such as Paul Hillier and Charles Daniels.

[phellandrene]

This is so excellent. Good work Gordon and Edin! Remarkable document for time to come.

ML

[pelka284dot]

Sting is incredible here...so I disagree with all the dissenters. Sting could sing the dictionary and sound wonderful. Finally, I do believe Sting would make a great classical countertenor...if he ever decided to venture out of his pop, rock, jazz, folk comfort zones.

[obliviousness007]

I think what sting does with this album is beautiful. I just found about John Dowland. Music, poetry, ideas. I maybe a rookie in this theme, but i feel extremely happy to see that music from those years is being brought back to life. And I guess thats the way Dowland would sit in his house, writing and playing and singing and being and everything he could be.

[slashtiger1]

@obliviousness007 Greatly spoken. And there's something else people should keep in mind when listening to this music (be it performed by Sting or ANYONE else): In essence, this is NOT classical music - it's the forerunner of today's pop music and used to be sung by troubadours, in taverns and inns. so actually, keeping that in mind, this performance comes pretty darned close to what Dowland intended. Even though I also LOVE many of the baroque versions on here.

[spacemanGoldie]

pretentious - this really doesn't work - fabulous Lute playing ruined by Sting ever irritating vocal tones

[Pardinuz]

@spacemanGoldie I love you

[veryfussy]

I agree with Figaro. There is too much of "me, me , me " in this interpretation. Me works if the song is a personally felt ballad , say by Joni Mitchell or Eva Cassidy, but not Sting. Sorry to be a party pooper.

[slashtiger1]

@veryfussy Everybody is allowed to have their own opinion. At least you say WHY you don't like this rendition, which Figaro0127 didn't. Still, you should have watched the interview that sort of 'belonged' to this vid. That is, if you'd have been able to, since you'd have to be able to receive BBC2. That's where Sting explains the nature of this whole project (the whole CD). I guess if only you'd been able to see that, you'd be of quite different opinion.

[veryfussy]

@slashtiger1

I don't get BBC television as I live in Australia. I guess I responded to the performance. Of course, Sting sings and sung quality material, but it didn't work for me. I have a classical guitar friend whose philosophy is that "he" is merely the messenger.That doesn't always ring true as there are about 300 versions of Spring by Vivaldi,including my young ensemble's as well as 20 televised versions of Stairway to heaven" and a million versions of Pachalbel's Kanon.

[slashtiger1]

@veryfussy Okay... Well, In that case you even clarified your opinion further, for which I'll give you a BIG thumbs up. I have read the PM you sent me, and your ensemble's really great! If you wish, we can continue this conversation over PMs. I already responded to yours. Of course, you will remain free to have your own opinion about anything...

[lucy1771]

... "et Le Verbe c'est Fait Chair... et il a Habité Le Labyrinthe"...

Ce qui était Esprit : par Humilité, Pudeur et Lumière est Devenu Musique Humaine.

Marie Françoise (Lucy1771)

[UnclePutin]

I love Sting, but his version of this needs a bit more work IMHO. Leaves me flat when he hits "die"--guess I've been spoiled by some other outstanding renditions of this gem.

[kiracheek]

We all know what "to die" meant back then, right? This is all about the ess-ee-ex. The "little death" was the Big O. Pretty cool! :o)

[figaro0127]

Why? He destroyed the song!

[slashtiger1]

Nah... he didn't. He just made his own rendition of it. Whether or not you like it, of course, is, and will always be, up to you. By the way, I think many people commenting on my video are actually calling this their favourite song of the album. Can't argue with them over that, now, can you? Why, by the way, do you think he destroyed the song? You made me curious to know the answer...

[lucy1771]

@slashtiger1 ..."et Le Verbe s'est fait Chair... et il a Habité Le Labyrinthe"...

Ce qui était Esprit : par Humilité et Désir de Lumière est Devenu Musique Humaine et Charnelle en Splendeur et Fragilité.

Marie Françoise (Lucy1771)

[halloerde]

I don't know what that iconoclast Figaro would say (0127 is Mozart's birthday, by the way), but "To die with thee again", meant something different in Elizabethan England, than it does today. It's closer to what " Come again" might mean today. Thus, the voice must change on the word "die", which Dowland deliberately draws out. This version, is sung with an always limp voice, and dies prematurely. "Oh Sting, where is thy Die?"

[halloerde]

That last comment was made by that hardass, Florestan, who can never find anything good to say about anybody. It's clear that Sting loves Dowland. Figaro, Sting, and me share something- we have all discovered better music, of whose existence we scarcely suspected, and had to struggle with the changes it required. Sting might well investigate, whether his breathy style of singing conveys the words in too literal a sense, and if Dowland's rich ironies don't demand a more focused voice Eusebius

[figaro0127]

Is that Florestan of Fidelio fame?

[figaro0127]

Or! "O Death Where is thy Sting". (Nice that you notice that it's Mozart's birthday.) The problem is he is lost in singing these songs. He cannot bring out the beauty of the melancholy songs and they lay flat, lifeless. I can see how people say that is their favorite song on this work. It happens to be one Dowland's strongest and emotional composition. But what Sting does is sing the notes. He has never heard of singing between the notes.And Yes he falls flat.

[violatione]

@figaro0127 Why is it that people become angry when classical (Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern and Post Modern) music is not performed with an interpretation the exactly mimics their favorite recording? That type of thinking causes stagnation in our artform, and it is the chief reason why high art music is not as popular as it could be.

[cairdeluis]

This is my favorite song on this album I think.

Sting and Edin are inspired - both are really demonstrate their genius :)

[slashtiger1]

Yeah, mine too! Even though the rest of the songs are beautiful as well.

[fattboyslim3]

i absolutely love this.

[slashtiger1]

Me too; this is absolutely one of my all time favourites!

[marosadam]

one of my favorites

[slashtiger1]

I agree!