John Dowland Concert at Salle Cortot Paris: March 25, 2025

Lutenist Thomas Dunford and percussionist Keyvan Chemirani performed a collaborative duo concert on March 25, 2025, at the Salle Cortot in Paris. The performance, which began at 20:30, was designed to explore the intersections between early music, traditional Iranian music, and contemporary pop.

The program sought to create an artistic dialogue by associating the works of The Beatles with those of John Dowland and various traditional Iranian musical elements. This cross-genre approach positioned the performers at the boundaries of different musical eras and cultural traditions.

Program Repertoire

The repertoire featured a wide array of compositions spanning several centuries. The duo performed works by John Dowland, including the Frog Galliard from approximately 1610 and The King of Denmark’s Galliard from 1605, the latter being an extract from Lachrimae, or Seven Tears.

The performance also included selections from the Baroque and Renaissance periods. Key pieces included:

• Selections from Jean-Sébastien Bach’s 1720 Suite for Cello No. 1 in G Major BWV 1007, specifically the Prelude No. 1, Sarabande No. 4, and Menuet I & II No. 5.
• Marin Marais’ 1701 composition Les Voix Humaines, an extract from Pièces de viole, Livre 2.
• Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger’s Toccata No. 6.
• Joan Ambrosio Dalza’s 1508 piece Calata ala Spagnola from Intabulatura de Lauto. Libro Quarto.

Cultural and Pop Integrations

Integrating traditional Iranian influences, Keyvan Chemirani performed his own compositions, To bandegui and Dawâr. Chemirani has stated that his relationship with Iran was primarily experienced through his father.

The concert further expanded its scope by incorporating 20th-century pop music. The duo performed two tracks by The Beatles: George Harrison’s 1969 composition Something and the 1968 track Blackbird, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

By pairing 17th-century galliards and 18th-century suites with mid-century pop and Iranian percussion, Dunford and Chemirani aimed to demonstrate the shared sensibilities across these disparate musical styles.