To listen to this selection is to step into a Dutch Golden Age painting. The room is dark, lit only by a single candle that catches the rim of a wine glass and the pale curve of a forehead.
Then comes Handel . But not the Handel of "Hallelujah." This is the Handel of Theodora or Orlando —the moments where the hero is broken, hollowed out by loss. Here, Davies uses his signature control to strip away vibrato, leaving the notes raw and white. It asks the listener: How much silence can you fit inside a sound? To listen to this selection is to step
The journey usually starts with John Dowland . In the 17th century, melancholy wasn't just a mood; it was a fashion, a philosophy, and a physical ailment. As Davies navigates the "Lachrimae" (Tears), the music feels like water dripping in a stone cellar. The lute provides a brittle, skeletal frame, while the voice floats above it, refusing to resolve, refusing to offer comfort. But not the Handel of "Hallelujah