Domenico Cerasani

Cutting: Lute Music Domenico Cerasani

Francis Cutting (1550-1603) was one of the major lute composers of Elizabethan England, yet little is known about his life. He may not even have been a professional composer, as he is referred to as "A gentleman" and his works were not widely circulated like those of his fellow composers.

Cutting's lute works have been preserved in three manuscripts written by Matthew Holmes and in "A new booke of Tabliture' published in 1596 in London by William Barley. His music is characterized by a preference for a 'learned' polyphonic fabric, although he also wrote light pieces using simple homophony. In the pavans and galliards we often see a complex interplay between chordal and imitative writing. Harmonically, Cutting's music is sometimes forward-looking, with its extensive use of sequences and occasional flashes of harmonic daring.

Played by Domenico Cerasani, an Italian lute and guitar player, as well as an avid scholar. He made already a successful recording for Brilliant Classics: the Raimondo Manuscript.