Even so, his latest venture comes as a surprise, and ultimately quite a pleasant one. The remaining seven tracks sees Sting interspersing the songs by reading extracts from Dowland's letters as he travelled around Europe. The songs are tied together by Sting's readings of Dowland's letter to one of QEI's courtiers, pleading for a position at court - and possibly his very life. Sting's vocal is superbly rich and humorous, much like his much-loved 'Englishman in New York'.Some other tracks to watch: 'Clear or Cloudy' and 'Can She Excuse My Wrongs?' He was also a prolific songwriter. If you think you know about arranging, listen to Ravel. An album of songs from Elizabethan composer John Dowland, performed solely by voice and lute? His is a visceral sound, rugged and physical. In that light, there are some sick vintage raps here, too, but Sting's flow is better suited to contemplation and courtship than booty shaking. Who thought Sting could sound like anything but Sting?Sting's voice, often beautiful, sounds even better when harmonizing with itself, as on 'Can She Excuse My Wrongs', which features lyrics from the doomed Earl of Essex.Sting's accompanist is the Bosnian lutenist Edin Karamazov. But Sting overcomes his caution enough to give the song some energy.What he can't seem to muster is enough breath to form the lines into shapely phrases. "Review from The Newark Star Ledger by Bradley BamburgerJohn Dowland, virtuoso lutenist and writer of timeless songs, was a master of melancholy, channeling both his own dark personality and that of the Elizabethan/Jacobean age (as unstable as our own) into his music.In his way, Sting is an inheritor of this English songwriting tradition; this disc sees the 55-year-old rock singer paying ambitious, heartfelt tribute to his predecessor.With his plangent tone and idiomatic diction, Sting has the measure of this music's soul as well as any early-music singer (although he might have sung "straighter" to even better effect). "BBC Music Magazine, 10/06"If people like it, public or critics, then that's the cream on the cake. "Fragile" is a song written and performed by English musician Sting from his second studio album ...Nothing Like the Sun. The narrative is powerful and will make for a compelling live performance, should they take this show on the road.Sting worked with a voice coach to capture the tone and breathing required for Renaissance vocalizing. The Human Rights Concerts - 1988: Human Rights Now, ¡RELEASED! and all of that.But any even semi-scholarly approach to this album reveals it to be full of hidden charms and even (gasp!) I imagine people would have sung without that technique. Yet in this non-traditional performance, they become fresh and new again. But the rules are there to subvert in order to maintain your integrity as a musician. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. No, why should I credit this pretentious fop with anything but self-aggrandizement (for him) and excruciating ruin (for me) of an art form he knows little about and achieves nothing with but justifiable ridicule. Certainly, if you're looking for a hit single, it's not here. On "Songs from the Labyrinth", Sting discovers the music of Elizabethan songwriter John Dowland: "beautiful melodies, fantastic lyrics, great accompaniments". 'Songs From the Labyrinth' is the most nakedly musical, least commercial Sting recording since his first post-Police effort, 'The Dream of the Blue Turtles'. The guy often seems too smart for his own good, or at least, for the good of his "pop star" self. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. The Human Rights Concerts - 1990: An Embrace of Hope, !RELEASED! Contains songs, instrumentals and recitations. Edin Karamazov is the capable Sarajevan lutenist who contributes nimble playing to a few solo tracks. Review from Rolling Stone by James HunterHere, Sting and Lutenist Edin Karamazov construct "a soundtrack in words and music" to the life of John Dowland (1563-1626), the Catholic English composer and musician who was jilted by his own queen as he became a star in European courts. You hear mandolins, but no lutes. Mr. McCartney's work is original; Sting's is not. (His Catholicism likely ruled him out.) It was important for me to put the songs within this historical and political context of a man struggling to make a living as an artist in a very difficult time. It was a labour of love. I feel that my job as a pop artist is to develop as a musician and bring into my sphere elements that aren't necessarily pop - more complex intervals, complex time signatures..."BBC Music Magazine, 10/06"Having listened to a lot of Dowland records, I thought that no one was doing what I could do: I don't have that trained operatic voice, but this music was composed around 1600 and the bel canto style wasn't invented until 100 years later when they had a full auditorium which encouraged a certain vocal technique. Lutenist Karamazov handles the heavy work, but to his credit, Sting also plays the lute in one solo, plus a good - if stiff - duet with Karamazov.Sting's appreciation of the style is clearest in several of Dowland's "Top 10," including 'The lowest trees have tops'. In close collaboration with lutenist Edin Karamazov, he interweaves songs with instrumental solos and evocative readings from a Dowland letter. Pair that with Dowland's 'Come again', where his directness wins over the listener, and you can only wonder what he could do if he sounded as free on more tracks. Despite the critiques from afficionadoes of early music, who find it utterly non-traditional, it's still worth the price of admission -- if nothing else, because it showcases Sting's musical adventurousness, originality and range. However, in mixing the modern with the almost medieval, Sting may do more to introduce rock fans to the pleasures of art music. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. It sounds utterly modern on this track but with much respect for the composer.On 'Labyrinth', Sting is sometimes silky, sometimes whispery but always focused on what the song requires. Songs from the Labyrinth Sting. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Yet as the album progresses, you appreciate more and more how much Sting's pop talents and his very personal approach allow him to penetrate and animate the inner emotions and meanings of Dowland's timeless music. In the 24 years since, it seems a handful of Sting's friends and colleagues have suggested the doleful tunes of the composer-singer-lutenist might suit one of the most melancholy of rockers.They were right. Review from Barnes & Noble by Scott PaulinMore than two decades into his solo career, Sting's musical explorations have already taken him farther afield than fans of his early work with the Police could have predicted. Can She Excuse My Wrongs? Both songs lack intensity, particularly on 'Come Again's' rising sequence "To see, to hear, to touch, to kiss, to die, with thee again, in sweetest sympathy." Review from The Daily ExpressThere's no denying Gordon Sumner knows how to set himself a challenge. (Elvis Costello takes side trips all the time, as does Paul McCartney). The reading, at times, is more compelling than the listening. We can actually understand the words, and in them find that human beings 400 years ago suffered from the same woes as they do today: unrequited love, class differences, fiancial and political troubles, exaltation and despair. Self reflection leads to melancholy and that's a good emotion. For much of the album, Sting delights in making nostalgic music that sounds exquisitely weathered - you can almost hear the Elizabethan leaves rustling in the background. Sting conceives Dowland as a Renaissance Nick Drake, a tortured dude who transcends personal agony with sublime composition. It was he who introduced Sting to the works of the composer who captured the hearts of the people, if not Queen Elizabeth I herself (he was Catholic; complications ensued).Sting did learn to play the lute for this recording but wisely leaves the heavy fingering to Karamazov, who plays Dowland clearly and rhythmically. The Journey And The Labyrinth: The Music Of John Dowland, directed and produced by the Emmy-award winning team, Jim Gable and Ann Kim of Graying & Balding, Inc., delves deeper into Sting's relationship with the sixteenth century figure, who has captivated generations with his songs composed primarily for lute, which Sting tackles along with esteemed lutenist Edin Karamazov. Unfortunately, their CDs are out of print. In close collaboration with lutenist Edin Karamazov, he interweaves songs with instrumental solos and evocative readings from a Dowland letter. Completa la tua Collezione su Sting. A bit more than a minute into the piece, Sting astounds with a multi-tracked bit of vocal polyphony, straight-up 16th century church music that the man somehow makes sound contemporary - no small feat.The spoken-word interludes - excerpts from Dowland's letter to Queen Elizabeth I's Secretary of State Sir Robert Cecil - are well-intentioned but still a bit cloying.Dowland was in danger of punishment at the hands of the state for his dalliances with Catholicism while living in Italy, and his letter to Cecil finds him at once attempting to make plain his loyalty to Her Majesty, and shilling for a gig in her court.Sting clearly finds this material humorous, touching, compelling, but the interjection of no fewer than seven spoken-word soliloquies makes 'Songs From the Labyrinth' feel like a formal night at the theater, rather than illuminating the warm, human composer Sting sees in Dowland.Right around the album's mid-point, it fully takes off. The result is a new album that drops next month, called 'Songs from the Labyrinth', for which Sting has used the songs of 16th century composer John Dowland for his foundation.A more seasoned and veteran lutenist - yes, that's what they're called - named Edin Karamazov plays on the CD, but Sting is right in there (this is similar to how Billy Joel put out his own classical CD, having Richard Jewell perform the work).And how is Sting on the lute? Sting does the vocals, but the vast majority of the lute work is done by Edin Karamazov. Had he dug into these 11 Dowland songs as if they were the blues hits of 1590 - which of course they were - he would have used every aspect of his famous voice. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! Sting told me he didn't think it would sell, but my guess is he's wrong. 'Labyrinth' is a very ambitious project, and it will not be to everyone's taste. If I was doing a Dowland record to make money, you'd shoot me! And the way he multi-tracks his vocals for consort passages is ingeniously musical, with the upbeat songs sounding more persuasively modern than usual. I became fascinated with it and immersed myself in lute music. Sting's lutenist partner, the Sarajevo native Edin Karamazov, provides tangy flair. This all makes great fodder for jokes at the expense of the artist formerly known as Gordon Sumner. But his take on these famous musical melancholias is an intriguing alternative to mainstream classical choices. Such titles as 'The Most High and Mighty Christianus the Fourth, King of Denmark, His Galliard' and '...After my departure I caled to mynde our conference' are strangely suited to his midlife Stingness, who enunciates with mind-blowing precision on this Deutsche Grammophon release. That album employed then-young jazz musicians Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland and Darryl Jones in service of a new pop music based on jazz harmony and scathing improvisation. In 1595 Dowland wrote a letter to Queen Elizabeth I's Secretary of State, Sir Robert Cecil, pleading his allegiance to the English throne in the hope of an invitation back to England and into the Royal Court. I found myself cringing at the clumsy voicing, the tone-deaf phrasing, just the whole brutishness of a British pop star way out of his depth and element. Against noble lute chords, Sting sings a soft scale that rises like vapor. The pleasant yet intense lute music of 17th century England shapes the body of the most delicate experiment … "Sting continues, "I'm not a trained singer for this repertoire, but I'm hoping that I can bring some freshness to these songs that perhaps a more experienced singer wouldn't give. Either way, the record comes up smelling mostly like roses, though occasionally the stench of self-import is a bit thick.Sting hooked up with one of the world's true lute virtuosos, Edin Karamazov, for the difficult task of embodying the man the singer calls "the first alienated singer/songwriter." The Journey & The Labyrinth: The Music of John Dowland (DVD & CD). "Hark, you shadows that in darkness dwell", Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 28, 2009. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. "He says a great deal without saying too much. This medieval genre of music is quite the departure fron Sting's earlier pop albums. Review from Fox 411 by Roger FriedmanSting loves to pick at strings. Sting: Songs From the Labyrinth. Try Catherine King on Naxos or 'Earth, Water, Air and Fire' on ASV. If so, and having lost Lennon, isn't an art-pop singer like Sting the right modern interpreter of Dowland's compositions? Melancholy leads to reflection, it leads to a sense of humility, a sense of kindness, of compassion - so we need it. Everyone remembers him from Police videos playing his favorite instrument, the upright bass. Prozac poster boy John Dowland's 400-year-old gems for voice and lute stand today as model portraits of grief, calling for a different sound from Sting, an intensely personal timbre that goes deep into the heart of darkness.Not the usual fodder for pop crossover singers.So let's say upfront: Sting is not an ideal choice for this music. My main complaint is that Karamazov and Sting appear to be in different aural spaces, which spoils the sense of intimacy. But the more I played 'Songs From the Labyrinth', the more Sting's rough qualities grew on me. I prefer `classical' music to rock, but am not a lover of John Dowland's compositions; I prefer Sting's! But I admire Sting for his humility in the way he approached Dowland.Unlike other pop stars such as Paul McCartney, who splash around in classical music like it's a wading pool (see accompanying story), Sting immersed himself in Dowland for two years. It is extracts from this extraordinary letter which Sting incorporates into this album as short recitations, re-creating a flavour of Dowland's life and times. Songs from the Labyrinth will appear on Deutsche Grammophon, the world's most celebrated classical … Admittedly, it's a jolt when you first hear Sting's husky, slightly drawling Americanised delivery of these carefully wrought songs.But Sting's pop-singer version of American is in its own way as artificial as Dowland, so it works amazingly well. You can practically hear the effort in the closely miked solo 'The Battle Galliard', where his rhythmic grunts are as clear as the notes. Dowland rocked. His work was part of a renaissance in British culture - his lyrics sometimes echo the poetry of another famous Elizabethan, Shakespeare - whose effects can be felt in British music to this day, whether most youngsters have heard of him or not.Sting's distinctive voice melds smoothly into an old-fashioned rendering of a song such as 'Clear or Cloudy'. But the success is spotty. "BBC Music Magazine, 10/06. Liner NotesCD 06025 170 3139Produced by Sting & Edin KaramazovEngineered & Mixed by Donal HodgsonSound Designer: Kipper EldridgeRecorded at Steerpike Studios, Il Palagio, ItalyAdditional Recording & Mixing at Metropolis StudiosAssistant at Metropolis Studios: Iain GoreMastered by Ian CooperLutes provided by Cezar Mateus and Klaus JacobsenSONGS FROM THE LABYRINTHThis autumn Sting ventures into "new" musical territory with an album featuring the music of acclaimed Elizabethan songwriter, John Dowland (1563-1626). Of the twenty-three tracks, five are instrumentals and eleven are songs. "BBC2 'The Culture Show', 09/06"I wanted to try and present the songs within a context that might help them - which is why I decided to read the extracts from the letter. He has it all. Most reviewers who do not like this wanted something else: they wanted a more sophisticated voice raised on classic music (let us have the flowery voice of Nigel Rogers). I'd like to assimilate that into my own work - being less verbose, less flowery. But Sting's wife, Trudie, needn't worry).So bravo for Sting. The songs -- all by John Dowland, who was master musician at the court of Queen Elizabeth I from about 1591 onwards -- are rendered very differently from the way they are usually performed by early music consorts: what we have here is Sting singing Dowland, rather than Dowland sung as perhaps he was 400 years ago. Sting calls these ancient compositions 400-year-old pop songs. a healthy sense of humor. And you improve by putting yourself at risk creatively or entering a milieu that may seem uncomfortable at first. Sting plays the archlute himself (a larger, double-strung lute) and reads excerpts from a Dowland letter.I'm guessing we won't be hearing Sting playing 'Songs of the Labyrinth' on an arena tour. I was thinking 'I can't see this becoming a record, and me taking this risk'. But I have a prediction - 'Songs from Labyrinth' will turn out to be the biggest Christmas CD of the year.It has that feeling, of mulled wine and Yule logs in fireplaces. "Fetch me a fair wench and a flagon of mead!" by Robert Johnson, a Dowland contemporary.With ambient music behind him, Sting also reads a clutch of Dowland's absorbing letters, mostly beseeching or despairing of a position in the Queen's ensemble. Sting's sometimes traditional, sometimes creative interpretations of about a dozen Dowland songs make it abundantly clear that Dowland was a dynamic artist. Released as a single the following year, it placed to number 70 on the UK Singles Chart.Sung additionally in both Spanish and Portuguese under the titles "Fragilidad" and "Fragil", it appeared twice more on his 1988 EP variant of the album, Nada como el sol. Here, he puts aside the pop to tackle the music of Elizabethan songwriter and lutenist John Dowland, who was court player to James I in the early 17th century. Sting has teamed up with Sarajevo lutenist Edin Karamazov on a collection of 16th-century songs by the Elizabethan composer John Dowland. But all credit to Sting for turning this fascinating figure into a living, breathing contemporary. Part of this album's appeal is its simplicity: Sting's vocals are joined only by the exquisite lute playing of Edin Karamazov - who also solos on some of Dowland's meditative lute pieces - and are interspersed among some very brief spoken interludes from the composer's letters. Sting's recent foray into the field of early music has resulted in this luminous CD, "Songs from the Labyrinth." However, the melodies are intricate, complex, and provide a great sense of atmosphere and history for the discerning listener. If you think you're a composer, then listen to Bach and be humbled; but know you can get better. He sings this piece beautifully, and makes the slippery chordal and melodic construction his own.That's ultimately what makes 'Songs From the Labyrinth' worthwhile - it breaks down the perceived barriers between what we consider modern and what we might label old-fashioned. But he's holding out hope that his "Songs From the Labyrinth… Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 30, 2019. It should be interesting to hear how all of this influences his next rock album. Although it never quite takes off the way it should, it's an admirable effort with the odd moment of beauty. "Too bad the former Police-man didn't pour out all the passion and electricity he's known for in such hits as 'Roxanne' and 'Every Breath You Take'. In fact, one of the refreshing things about this CD is the complete lack of classical or "early music" fustiness. Apparently Sting is in love with his own voice, but no one else should be when he tries to sing Elizabethan madrigals. That Sting's sense of humor rings in sympathy with that of a 16th century classical court composer casts no small amount of light on his status as misunderstood artist. On 'Come Again', 'Wilt Thou Unkind Thus Leave Me' and Dowland's famous 'In Darkness Let Me Dwell', Sting tables his ponderous lower range and invests these crack tunes with skill and soul. 2006 | Deutsche Grammophon (DG) Songs From The Labyrinth Sting | 01-01-2006 Durée totale : 48 min. And danger is what true rock, and in this case Elizabethan pop, is all about. Hearing the composer's words, alongside his music, both so revealing of his defeats and victories, builds a sympathetic profile.Dowland is still renowned as the greatest lute player of his time - think the Eric Clapton of 1590s guitar. Sting does the vocals, but the vast majority of the lute work is done by Edin Karamazov. Despite the critiques from afficionadoes of early music, who find it utterly non-traditional, it's still worth the price of admission -- if nothing else, because it showcases Sting's musical adventurousness, originality and range. On 'Songs from the Labyrinth', Sting reaches back across the centuries to interpret songs by John Dowland (1563-1626), one of the greatest composers of Elizabethan England. 'Songs From the Labyrinth' is the most nakedly musical, least commercial Sting recording since his first post-Police effort, 'The Dream of the Blue Turtles'. I think it only became a record when we decided to put extracts of this letter in. Early music buffs may be put off by Sting's smoky voice mouthing the lyrics, but given the wonderful appeal of Dowland, it can be pleasant to hear vocals with echoes of the tavern and the boudoir in music from an era enthusiastic about both venues. This is a brave, beautiful album. The disc was released last week on the Deutsche Grammophon label.Listeners familiar with Renaissance music might balk at what the rocker admits is his "unschooled tenor," and especially his overdubbing, where he expands mid-tune from soloist to small-town "glee club. It's not going to go platinum. 'Have you seen the bright lily grow' by Dowland contemporary Robert Johnson is an unqualified success. It went on to become the best-selling classical album of 2006, according to Billboard Magazines year-end chart. The remaining seven tracks sees Sting interspersing the songs by reading extracts from Dowland's letters as he travelled around Europe. Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2007. 'Come Heavy Sleep' reveals the enchanting melodic and harmonic subtlety of Dowland's writing - this is probably the very stuff that appealed to Sting when he began studying Dowland's canon nearly 20 years back. You don't hear a lot of lutes on pop records. Sting is joined on this recording by much-admired lutenist Edin Karamazov, in what he describes as "a soundtrack to Dowland's life in words and music". And Dowland's compositions are at turns raucous, bawdy, lyrical, and harmonically bewildering. "I'm not a trained singer for this repertoire, but also thought that maybe there was something I could do in my own style that would be relevant, respectful and new. For me they are pop songs written around 1600 and I relate to them in that way; beautiful melodies, fantastic lyrics, and great accompaniments. Self reflection is a much undervalued concept in modern society. Of the twenty-three tracks, five are instrumentals and eleven are songs. This is not old music for new Jaguar drivers. That would obliterate the 400-year gap.Instead, Sting handles most of the songs as gingerly as baby birds. It would be a good choice. The remaining seven tracks sees Sting interspersing the songs by reading extracts from Dowland's letters as he travelled around Europe. On instrumentals such as 'Forlorn Hope Fancy', his work is a lot more than a simple accompaniment. "Doleful Dowland," as he might be called, did a lot more than pen a bunch of laments. together they create what Sting calls "a musical sound-track" to the composer's life. The Human Rights Concerts 1986-1998, The Last Ship (standard & vinyl editions), Chimes Of Freedom: The Songs Of Bob Dylan, CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE: Conversations With Christian, VARIOUS ARTISTS: Cherrytree House Sessions, Volume 1, VARIOUS ARTISTS: Now That's What I Call Christmas 4, CHRIS BOTTI: Chris Botti In Boston (Live), VARIOUS ARTISTS: Songs for Tibet - The Art of Peace, ANOUSHKA SHANKAR/KARSH KALE: Breathing Under Water, VARIOUS ARTISTS: Rogue's Gallery - Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys, VARIOUS ARTISTS: Hurricane Relief: Come Together Now, VARIOUS ARTISTS: American Made World Played, Inside Out On The Sacred Love Tour fan Club DVD, VARIOUS ARTISTS: Live at the World Cafe Vol 18, VARIOUS ARTISTS: The Very Best of MTV Unplugged 3, SOUNDTRACK: Bridget Jones - The Edge Of Reason, VARIOUS ARTISTS: Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, VARIOUS ARTISTS: Unity: 2004 Athens Olympic Games, VARIOUS ARTISTS: The Very Best of MTV Unplugged 2, VARIOUS ARTISTS: Voices of Hope: Sabera Foundation, VARIOUS ARTISTS: Best of Today Summer Concert Series Vol 2, CHRIS BOTTI: Night Sessions: Live In Concert, VARIOUS ARTISTS: The Very Best of MTV Unplugged, VARIOUS ARTISTS: Salt Lake 2002 Official Music of the Games, VARIOUS ARTISTS: America: A Tribute to Heroes, VARIOUS ARTISTS: For Once In My Life: Ally McBeal, VARIOUS ARTISTS: Unicef: Music Of Love For Tomorrow's Children, VARIOUS ARTISTS: A Love Affair: The Music of Ivan Lins, VARIOUS ARTISTS: For Our Children: 10th Anniversary Edition, VARIOUS ARTISTS: SNL : 25 Years of Musical Performances 1, ANDY SUMMERS: Green Chimneys: The Music of Thelonious Monk, FEATURE: Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, SOUNDTRACK: The X-Files: The Album - Fight The Future, VARIOUS ARTISTS: A Very Special Christmas 3, VARIOUS ARTISTS: Red Hot + Rio: Pure Listening Pleasure, VARIOUS ARTISTS: Tower of Song: The Songs of Leonard Cohen. Can't Stand Losing You (Live in Boston) Edit, Voices Inside My Head (E Smoove Pump Mix) 12'', Can't Stand Losing You (Live in Boston) Edit 7'', Message In A Box - The Complete Recordings, If I Ever Lose My Faith In You, CD digipak, VARIOUS ARTISTS: Prokofiev: Peter And the Wolf, VARIOUS ARTISTS: A Very Special Christmas, FEATURE: The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, SOUNDTRACK: Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, VARIOUS ARTISTS: Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, 7'', ''Right Honorable: as I have bin most bound unto your honor...'', ''...Then in time passing on Mr. Johnson died...'', The Most High and Mighty Christianus the Fourth, King of Denmark, His Galliard, ''... And according as I desired ther cam a letter...'', ''...From thenc I went to Landgrave of Hessen...'', ''...And from thence I had great desire to see Italy...'', ''...After my departures I caled to mynde our conference...'', ''...men say that the Kinge of Spain is making gret preparation...''. Please try again. Why they bought Sting instead, I don't understand it. Unusual repertoire for Sting. … Coarseness actually gives the songs some historical authenticity in what was, after all, a rough-and-ready age - Dowland was born a year before Shakespeare.Unvarnished singing suggests an emotional truth that grounds the music in unexpected ways.