Melancholy in A Pilgrimes Solace de John Dowland: philosophical, poetic and musical-rhetorical aspects

Abstract

The present project aims to analyze, through the perspective from musical rhetoric, A Pilgrimes Solace (1612) by John Dowland, long for comprehension from religious Elizabethan melancholy, the confluences of it with neoplatonic philosophy and its symbolic representations on the piece's texts.Since 16th Century, melancholy becomes a philosophical subject of great relevancy in England. It was studied by science and arts, under several approach, in especial the neoplatonic sloping. Among the several aspects of melancholy, the greatest considered in perspective is the religious origin, which approach sin, redemption and union of the soul with God. The composer John Dowland is one of the main representatives of this melancholy in Elizabethan music. He utilizes several musical emblems to represent it in his works, like we confirmed in our work of scientific initiation, which broach about a collection of seven pavans named Seven Tears, by John Dowland. In front of this perspective, the musicology approach of this project will be the Vicent Duckles, Joseph Kerman and Jean Nattiez's proposal, suggesting an inter-relation among historic, philosophic and musical-rhetoric aspects. Therefore, the connection among these areas will be used for analyze A Pilgrimes Solace. It can contribute for a deeping investigate about this subject. The main authors consulted in this research are Timothy Bright, Marsilio Ficino, Henry Peacham, the old and the young e Erwin Panofsky et al. (AU)