Release Date: 01 January 2000
Label: Naxos / Naxos Classics
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 636943412725
Genres: Classical
Composer/Series: Captain Humes Poeticall Musicke Vol 2 by Tobias Hume
Description
The Composer: Little is known regarding the personal life of Tobias Hume, though his birth has often been given as 1569, it may well have been much later. What is known of his early life brings together a career as a soldier and musician. He certainly travelled extensively, having served as an officer in both the Swedish and Russian army, and it was as a soldier that he made his living, probably as a mercenary. How much music he wrote is equally open to conjecture, the results of his work now only known from four collections. One such collection was dedicated to Queen Anne, probably to seek her favour to enter the Royal household, though we are uncertain whether this was as a musician or soldier. Whether he was ever trained in music is equally unclear, for though he stated that he was educated only as a soldier, it would be unusual to find someone who could write with such expertise without significant training. We do know that he was a champion of the viol, and as such he was aware of its potential compared to the lute, the stringed instrument then in favour. Obviously Hume was taken seriously enough in musical circles, for it was no less than Dowland who published a rebuff of these ideas.His date of birth is often calculated by his admission to Charterhouse in 1629, the institute for impoverishedofficers, where the minimum age was 60. He probably lied to gain admission, as in 1642 he was seeking money to go to Ireland to help quell an uprising, which would have made him 73. He died two years later in Charterhouse.Captain Humes Poeticall Musicke was Hume's third volume of music, and was published in London in 1607 (which probably supports his 1569 date of birth). It was written either for two basse-viols or instruments in eight parts, and though the composer left the choice of instruments to the performers, it is more than likely that he had a group of viols in mind, who would have produced a very different sound to that heard on this disc.The volume contains 25 pieces, and opens with the song, 'Cease leaden slumber', and was the Queen's New-Year gift, probably offered as part of his quest to join the Royal retinue. It continues with pieces - that are here played by a variety of instruments - including dances, and fantasies, that are at times happy, but usually of the melancholy favoured at that time. That Hume wanted to find favour with high society, can be seen from the subtitle to each work, which 'dedicates' them to a famous personage of his time. It begs the question as to whether he worked within such high ranking company. Equally it poses the question as to why he composed 'The King of Denmarkes health' (the penultimate track on this disc). Was Hume invited to play for the King, possibly while serving in the Swedish army? The titles prove intriguing, and Keith Anderson in his excellent notes details the history of the people named in Hume's works. [On page 4 of the booklet, it would infer there are two books of works. There is only one wi
Tracklisting
Dariia Lytvishko
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Marin Alsop
Alice Di Piazza; Basel Sinfonietta; NDR Bigband; Titus Engel
Anna Alas i Jove; Miquel Villalba
David Childs; Black Dyke Band; Nicholas Childs
Yaqi Yang; Margarita Parsamyan; Robynne Redmon; Minghao Liu; Frank Ragsdale; Kim Josephson; Kevin S
Vilmos Csikos; Olivier Lechardeur; Manon Lamaison
Tomas Cotik; Martingale Ensemble; Ken Selden
