Mr Dowland's Dream Clara Brunet & Bor Zuljan

• Bor Zuljan (b. 1987): Praeludium:
• 1 Zuljan: Praeludium 01:23
• John Dowland (1563 - 1626): Come, Ye Heavy States of Night:
• 2 Dowland: Come, Ye Heavy States of Night 02:59
• A Dream:
• 3 Dowland: A Dream 05:36
• Robert Johnson (ca. 1583 - 1633): Care-Charming Sleep:
• 4 Johnson: Care-Charming Sleep 03:31
• Bor Zuljan: A Fancy:
• 5 Zuljan: A Fancy 01:28
• John Dowland: Go Nightly Cares:
• 6 Dowland: Go Nightly Cares 05:39
• Mr. Dowland’s Midnight / ‘Tis Now Dead Night:
• 7 Dowland: Mr. Dowland’s Midnight / ‘Tis Now Dead Night 02:44
• Pavana Johan Douland:
• 8 Dowland: Pavana Johan Douland 08:06
• Bor Zuljan: Midnight:
• 9 Zuljan: Midnight 01:08
• Peter Warlock (1894 - 1930): Sleep:
• 10 Warlock: Sleep 03:26
• William Walton (1902 - 1983): Bagatelle No. 2:
• 11 Walton: Bagatelle No. 2 03:53
• Bor Zuljan: Respiration:
• 12 Zuljan: Respiration 01:48
• Pink Floyd: Breathe (In the Air):
• 13 Floyd: Breathe (In the Air) 01:58
• John Dowland: In Darkness Let Me Dwell:
• 14 Dowland: In Darkness Let Me Dwell 04:03
• Bor Zuljan, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824): Darkness:
• 15 Zuljan, Byron: Darkness 06:15
• John Dowland: Come Heavy Sleep:
• 16 Dowland: Come Heavy Sleep 02:10
• Thelonious Monk (1917 - 1982): ‘Round Midnight:
• 17 Monk: ‘Round Midnight 05:25
• Total Runtime 01:01:32

Info for Mr Dowland's Dream

Following his award-winning Dowland recording, A Fancy, Bor Zuljan turns once again to the Renaissance composer for inspiration in an eclectic new programme of works by Dowland and his contemporaries, as well as William Walton and Peter Warlock, Thelonius Monk and Pink Floyd. Night falls and Mr Dowland cannot sleep and seeks release in his faithful orpharion (an alternative to the lute created in 1580). This, however, is no ordinary night: Orpheus and Arion inhabit the dark reaches of his instrument and awake in an instant as Dowland touches the silver strings with his goldsmith’s fingers. They take him on a powerful dreamlike journey, a visionary revery that is full of surprises and avant-garde soundscapes. The music of the 1600s is gradually transformed into unexpected worlds before Dowland finally sinks into deep sleep. Performing on a copy of a magnificent 9-course 1617 orpharion and a 10-course electric orpharion developed specifically for this recording, Zuljan is joined by Clara Brunet for this imaginative mixed recital of solo and vocal works, which also marks the 400th anniversary of Dowland’s death.

Clara Brunet, voice
Bor Zuljan, orpharion, electric orpharion

Bor Zuljan
is active in different musical genres playing many kinds of early, modern and traditional plucked-strings instruments. Called the "Revolutionary of the lute" (Le Soir), he's been rediscovering forgotten improvisation and playing techniques, instruments and sounds, always expanding the palette of possibilities.

He is performing regularly as soloist and with ensembles, such as Doulce Mémoire, Phaedrus, Tasto Solo, Graindelavoix, L'Achéron, Vox Luminis, Il Giardino Armonico, Vortex, with Marco Ambrosini, Golfam Khayam and Haleh Seyfizadeh, with the Teofilovići twins, in duo with Dušan Bogdanović, with Romain Bockler (Dulces Exuviae) as well as with his ensemble La Lyra.

From 2011, he is the artistic director of an early music festival Flores Musicae in Slovenia. His critical edition of Gorzanis' Second lute book has been published by the Slovenian Musicological Society, resulting also in an awarded CD La barca del mio amore with music by the same composer, featuring La Lyra and the italian singer Pino De Vittorio (Arcana - Outhere Music). In 2019 he began a series of albums for the Ricercar label (Outhere Music): Josquin - Adieu mes amours, the first CD of the duo Dulces Exuviae is already very well received by specialized critics; the year after his first solo album Dowland - A Fancy wins the prestigious Diapason d'Or de l'année 2020, CHOC de Classica, the Editor's Choice de Gramophone, and other accolades, followed in 2022 by Gesualdo - Il liuto del Principe (Diapason d'Or, CHOC de Classica,…). Toutes les nuits by the duo Dulces Exuviae has been released in 2023 (Gramophone Recording of the month, Diapason d’Or,...). The latest solo CD Orpheus’ Lute - Improvisation and Wonder in Humanist Italy, featuring some duos with Mónica Pustilnik, has just been released, also receiving the Diapason d’Or and CHOC de Classica.

After graduating in jazz and classical programmes at the Ljubljana Conservatory of Music, he continued his studies with Aniello Desiderio in Koblenz, Germany. In 2007 he started studying at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève where he then obtained a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Guitar and Lute performance (Dusan Bogdanovic, Jonathan Rubin), continued with a specialization in Medieval music and finished a MA in lute pedagogy. Since 2011 he has been working as research assistant at the same school on a project on Fantasia improvisation on lute in the 16th Century, a topic he is developing for his doctoral thesis at the University in Tours.

He’s regularly invited to give conferences and master classes at institutions, such as the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice, HEM de Genève and CNSMD Lyon.

Booklet for Mr Dowland's Dream