Eloquent, intimate and melancholy, the songs and lute music of John Dowland; who died 400 years ago, in February 1626, achieved considerable popularity in his lifetime, making him the precursor of the introspective singer-songwriters of our own age.

The 10CDs in this edition, tracing performances from the 1940s to the 2020s, feature such interpreters as Emma Kirkby, Philippe Jaroussky, Michael Chance, James Bowman, Alfred Deller, the Hilliard Ensemble, The King’s Singers, Boston Camerata, Thibaut Garcia, Jordi Savall, Jean Rondeau, Gustav Leonhardt and David Munrow.