Renaissance and baroque lute music is featured on this recording. The first eight pieces come from the lively lute songs of Francesco of Bosnia and the virtuoso lute music and consort arrangements of John Dowland.

In arranging the pieces I imagined myself the director and participant in a virtual consort of plucked instrument players. I found the tambral combination of archguitar with West Asian Dombra especially inspiring. The Weiss pieces, from suites written by the last great lute master (who lost his thumb to a violent attack by a rival lutinist) reveal another side to the lutinist's art- the intimate and spontaneous performance of stylized dances. Enjoy!

Peter Blanchette

∆ with Jean Chiane, archguitar