Various Composers - Ophelia's Garden. English Lute Duets (Michał Gondko; Nigel North)

Information

1. John Dowland - Paduan (arr. Nigel North)
2. John Dowland - Round Battle Galliard (arr. Nigel North)
3. John Dowland - Complaint (arr. Nigel North)
4. John Dowland - My Lord Willoughby’s Welcome Home
5. John Johnson - Flat Pavan and Galliard: I. Pavan
6. John Johnson - Flat Pavan and Galliard: II. Galliard
7. John Johnson - Sellinger’s Round
8. Thomas Robinson - Twenty Ways Upon The Bells
9. Thomas Robinson - A Fantasie
10. Thomas Robinson - A Toy
11. William Byrd - The Woods So Wild (arr. Nigel North)
12. John Johnson - La Vecchia Pavan and Galliard: I. Pavan
13. John Johnson - La Vecchia Pavan and Galliard: II. Galliard
14. John Johnson - Chi Passa
15. Thomas Preston - Upon Lamire (arr. Nigel North)
16. Anonyme - My Lady Carey’s Dump (arr. Nigel North)
17. Stephen Goss - Ophelia's Garden
18. Marchant - A Fancy (Marchant)
19. John Danyel - A Fancy (Danyel)
20. Anonyme - A Fancy (Drewries Accordes)
21. Thomas Robinson - A Plain Song
22. Thomas Robinson - The Queen’s Goodnight
23. R. Allison - De La Tromba Pavan
24. John Danyel - Passymeasures Galliard
25. Anonyme - La Rossignol

Michał Gondko & Nigel North, lutes

Date: 2026

Label: Deux-Elles Limited

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Ophelia’s Garden is a highly anticipated duo album by lutenists Michał Gondko and Nigel North, recorded in the resonant setting of St Andrew's Church Toddington. The recording presents lute duets from Elizabethan England by composers such as John Dowland, John Johnson, and Thomas Robinson, alongside new arrangements by North. The title work, composed by Stephen Goss, draws inspiration from Ophelia’s scene in Hamlet. Blending historical repertoire with contemporary composition, the album highlights the enduring expressive appeal of lute music.

Michał Gondko is a distinguished lutenist and the founder and artistic co-director of La Morra, internationally recognized for its interpretations of late medieval and early Renaissance repertoire. His work has earned major accolades, including the Diapason d’Or and the Jahrespreis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, along with nominations for the Gramophone Awards. In addition to ensemble leadership, he is active as a soloist and frequently collaborates in lute duets with Nigel North. His international career has taken him across Europe, the United States, the Middle East, and Asia.

Nigel North, born in London, is a leading authority on lute performance and pedagogy. He served as Professor of Lute at Indiana University Bloomington (1999–2024), as well as at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the Berlin University of the Arts, and the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. A prolific scholar, he authored Continuo Playing on the Lute, Archlute and Theorbo and, more recently, Bach on the Lute, alongside new pedagogical and editorial projects, including studies on sixteenth-century divisions and a complete edition of works by John Dowland.