Thomas Robinson - Six Elizabethan Lute Duets - Arr. by Ben Salfield - In Guitar & Lute Tablature

Ben Salfield website:
bensalfield.com/
Bergmann Editions website:
bergmann-edition.com/products...
The introductory music is the beginning of Thomas Robinson's "A Toy", here played by Ben Salfield on the lutar, and Andrea Dieci on guitar.
About Thomas Robinson (from Wikipedia)
"Very little is known about Robinson's life, but it is possible to draw conclusions from the dedicatory pages of his works. He and his father were in service of the Cecil family: Robinson's father worked for the 1st Earl of Salisbury, Robert Cecil, and Robinson was in the service of the 1st Earl of Exeter, Thomas Cecil, who was Robert Cecil's brother. The Cecil family fostered several artists in these days, amongst others William Byrd and Orlando Gibbons.
It was before 1589 that Robinson became Princess Anne's (1574-1619) and Queen Sophie's (1557-1631) private music teacher at Elsinore, Denmark. Princess Anne was the daughter of the King of Denmark, Frederick II (1559-1588). It is presumed that Robinson must have been in his twenties then, so that his birth can be dated back to around 1560.
The Court of Denmark, like other courts, employed many well-recognized musicians from Denmark and other countries, like England, France, Germany and the Netherlands. It is known that John Dowland - the most famous Renaissance lutenist nowadays - worked as a court lutenist in Denmark from 1598 to 1606. Besides Robinson's own mention of his employment there, no official record of it exists.
In 1603, Robinson published his first book, Medulla Musicke, of which no copy survived. It was even suggested (Ward JM, see "Literature"), that it was never published at all, although Robinson seems to be referring to it in the first pages of his second book: Right courteous Gentlemen, and gentle Readers, your fauourable acceptance of my first fruits from idlenesse, hath eccited mee further to congratulate your Musicall endeauours. [...] From: "The Schoole of Musicke", 1603
Also in 1603, Robinson brought out his second book, The Schoole of Musicke, a tutor for lute and other instruments. It displaced John Alford's book A Briefe and Easye Instruction from 1574 (an English translation of Adrian Le Roy's Briefve et facile instruction pour apprendre la tabulature) as the most important lute tutor in England from then on...."

[@robertwyss5478]

Wonderful, thanks.

[@ReliSuyskens]

Wonderful video, thanks for the pleasant story and musical company, congrats on a real "old fashioned" entertaining interview!

[@JeffreyGoodmanMusic]

Thanks Reli, yes, it's a wonderful book!

[@bergmannedition]

Get the sheet music here: bergmann-edition.com/products/robinson-salfield-six-duets