Greensleeves
Anonymous setting from the Ballet Lute book, which is probably the earliest known setting of the tune, and Francis Cutting's (1571 - 1596) set of variations upon it.
Paula Bär-Giese - soprano
Hans Meijer - lute
High bitrate performance:
http://web.mac.com/musicksmonumentdownl/Websites_for_museums/Holbein_project-Greensleeves.html
IPOD DOWNLOAD
http://web.mac.com/musicksmonumentdownl/Startpage/Free_iPod_downloads_YouTube_Movies.html
Recorded at Castle Radboud-Medemblik:
http://web.mac.com/musicksmonumentdownl/Castle_Radboud/Castle_Radboud_Medemblik-The_Netherlands.html
Handsome, gifted and recently married to Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII was the envy of Europe when he penned 35 royal compositions in the early years of his long and turbulent reign. (Thirty-five Compositions Ref: E1801 The complete secular works of King Henry VIII consisting of partsongs and instrumental consorts. Publisher Stainer & Bell)
Truly a Renaissance prince, he was also a gifted composer who excelled in portraying the pleasures of courtly life through words and music. His daughter, Elizabeth, inherited his gifts, and was a keen dancer and an excellent performer on the virginals.
"Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song and tune, basically a ground of the form called a romanesca.
A widely-believed (but completely unproven) legend is that it was composed by King Henry VIII of England (1491-1547) for his lover and future queen consort Anne Boleyn. Anne, the youngest daughter of Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, rejected Henry's attempts to seduce her. This rejection is apparently referred to in the song, when the writer's love "cast me off discourteously." It is not known if the legend is true, but the song is still commonly associated with Boleyn in the public mind.
Hans Holbein (1497/8--1543) was the first great British artist, and is regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time. He moved to England from Basel in 1526--8 and then again in 1532--43, an extremely turbulent time in English history when all around were losing their heads. His arrival effectively brought the Renaissance in painting from continental Europe to Britain.
Hans Holbein project:
http://web.mac.com/musicksmonumentdownl/Hans_Holbein/Hans_Holbein_slideshow_%26_Greensleeves_.html
Alas, my love, you do me wrong
To cast me off discourteously
For I have loved you well and long
Delighting in your company.
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
And who but my lady Greensleeves
Your vows you've broken, like my heart
Oh, why did you so enrapture me
Now I remain in a world apart
But my heart remains in captivity
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
And who but my lady Greensleeves.
I have been ready at your hand,
To grant whatever you would crave,
I have both wagered life and land,
Your love and good-will for to have.
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
And who but my lady Greensleeves.
If you intend thus to disdain,
It does the more enrapture me,
And even so, I still remain
A lover in captivity.
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
And who but my lady Greensleeves.
Ah, Greensleeves, now farewell, adieu,
To God I pray to prosper thee,
For I am still thy lover true,
Come once again and love me.
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
And who but my lady Greensleeves.
Tags: Greensleeves traditional English folk song Holbein Henry-VIII Anna-Boleyn Francis-Cutting Paula-Bär-Giese Hans-Meijer Castle-Radboud Lady-Green-Sleeves
