Biblioteca de la Guitarra y Cuerda Pulsada

Two manuscripts apparently connected with John Dowland’s lute-teaching activities survive, but little attempt has been made to situate this aspect of the composer’s professional activity within a broader biographical narrative. This study begins by sifting through the fragmentary evidence concerning the pedagogical activities of Dowland and his closest colleagues, mainly lutenists in royal service pursuing busy portfolio careers. The area around Dowland’s home in Fetter Lane, London, emerges as a thriving centre for professional musical activity in the decades around 1600. With a ready supply of wealthy clients living close by, teaching became an important means of securing additional income for these musicians and, more importantly, provided an opportunity to meet potential...