Period

:

Baroque

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Concerto

 

Robert Donington was a renowned British musicologist, author, and performer who made significant contributions to the field of early music. He was born on March 16, 1907, in London, England, and grew up in a family of musicians. His father, Walter Donington, was a professional cellist, and his mother, Ethel Donington, was a pianist and music teacher. Donington showed an early interest in music and began playing the piano at a young age. He later learned to play the viola and became a proficient performer. He studied music at the Royal College of Music in London and later at the University of Oxford, where he earned a degree in musicology. Donington's interest in early music was sparked by his encounter with the music of the Renaissance composer John Dowland. He became fascinated with the music of the period and began researching and performing it. He was particularly interested in the performance practices of the time and sought to recreate them in his own performances. Donington's career as a performer began in the 1930s when he joined the English Consort of Viols, a group dedicated to performing early music on period instruments. He also performed with other early music ensembles, including the Purcell Consort of Voices and the Musica Reservata. Donington's performances were highly acclaimed, and he became known for his sensitive and expressive interpretations of early music. He was particularly admired for his performances of Dowland's music, which he played on a viola da gamba, a type of Renaissance-era stringed instrument. In addition to his career as a performer, Donington was also a prolific author and musicologist. He wrote several books on early music, including "The Interpretation of Early Music," which became a seminal work in the field. He also wrote biographies of several Renaissance composers, including Dowland and William Byrd. Donington's contributions to the field of early music were recognized with several awards and honors. In 1962, he was awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire) for his services to music. He was also awarded the Dent Medal by the Royal Musical Association in 1975 for his contributions to musicology. Donington continued to perform and write about early music until his death on June 19, 1990, at the age of 83. His legacy lives on through his recordings, writings, and the many musicians he inspired to explore the music of the Renaissance and early Baroque periods.

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