Edin Karamazov Lute Recital

The lute was a popular solo and accompaniment instrument during the Renaissance. The small, easily portable instrument that was suitable for constant polyphonic play enjoyed massive popularity and was to be found in nearly all social classes: it was the indispensable accessory for the musical entertainment of the aristocracy and bourgeois families, and at the same time it was the tool of the trade of itinerant minstrels. In the Baroque period it lived on mainly as an accompanying instrument but solo works were also dedicated to amateurs and professional artists. The significance of the lute declined in the second half of the 18th century, with J. F. Reichardt complaining in 1805 that “who is familiar with the totally unique fineness and charm of the lute will really be sorry for the fact that this most excellent and fine instrument is pushed completely to the background by the new, rattling music of our age, which […] makes a real racket.” He could have had no idea that in the middle of the 20th century, the lute would undergo a true ‘renaissance’ in our age that is noisier than ever. Bosnian lutist Edin Karamazov gained international acclaim as a partner to Sting in his 2008 Dowland album Songs from the Labyrinth, in addition to which he has appeared with such famous classical ensembles and artists as Hespèrion XXI, L’Arpeggiata, Hilliard Ensemble and Andreas Scholl.