lutenist - guitarist songwriter
Peter
Croton grew up in the
As a
child of six he began performing as a folk guitarist and singer. Peter’s
musical roots in folk and jazz music were supplemented by formal studies of
lute and classical guitar with Dr. Loris Chobanian at the Oberlin Conservatory
of Music (
In 1984
he won first prize at the "Erwin Bodky" competition for Early Music
in
He has
performed and recorded with Theresia Bothe (www.bothecrotonduo.com), Derek Lee
Ragin, Susanne Rydén, René Jacobs, Andreas Scholl, Guillemette Laurens, and
Nigel Rogers, among others. He has appeared at international festivals
including: Rheingau Musik Festival, Kissinger Sommer, Festspiele Europäische
Wochen Passau, Tage Alter Musik Regensburg, Staufener Musikwoche, Innsbrucker
Festwochen der alten Musik, Niedersächsische Musiktage, Mosel Festwochen,
Kultursommer Nordhessen, Les Arts Jaillissants – Savoie, Festival des Cordes
Sensibles, Early Music Vancouver and Early Music Guild Seattle.
In 2001
six of his compositions were published by the German Lute Society, and his
tutor, "Figured Bass on the Classical Guitar" has been published by
Amadeus in
Excerpts
from reviews of concerts
"Peter
Croton demonstrated effortless technical command and a high degree of
refinement."
The
"Lyrical and virtuosic... Croton
played with an astonishing range of tone colors and dynamics. Also astonishing was the variety of
expression, from lyrical intimacy to extroverted virtuosity of the highest degree."
Nürnberger Nachrichten
"Croton
demonstrated a high level of virtuosity and a well developed sense for
exciting, dramatic playing."
Badische Zeitung
"His
accompaniments were sensitive, and his solo performances were excitingly
extravagant, especially the highly virtuoso Toccatas by Piccinini."
Der Tagesspiegel (
"With toccatas by Girolamo Kapsperger and Alessandro Picinnini, Croton showed himself to be a lyric poet of the lute. "
Saale-Zeitung (Festival Bad Kissingen)
"Honey-golden lute sound."
Basellandschaftlicher Zeitung
As
well as providing Ragin with sensitive accompaniment, Croton demonstrated
consummate musicianship as soloist, composer, and arranger."
The Georgia Straight (
"Derek
Lee Ragin’s accompanist was the equally renowned Peter Croton, who created a
fine, almost orchestral texture. Croton
played with great expression, variation and fluency."
Main-Echo (Würzburg)
Excerpts
from reviews of CDs
Bach on
the Italian Lute (Guild)
"…The
outcome was stunning: it turned out that Bach’s music works quite well on the
Italian lute... How beautiful Bach’s lute suites can sound on
the Italian lute is demonstrated by the present recording by Peter Croton,
which from beginning to end is an exquisite listening experience… Thanks to Croton’s
subtle and transparent playing, the Suite in g-minor, perhaps the most pensive
of Bach’s works for the lute, comes across not at all as cumbersome, but rather
as stimulating, leading the listener to reflect, to step back a moment and
listen in a concentrated manner. The Preludium from
CONCERTO - The Magazine for Early Music, June/July 2009
"Croton's performances are superb. Not only does he play very cleanly, with very few loud finger squeaks or mis-struck notes, but his solid, round tone and measured, unrushed manner allow the instrument's dark, sonorities to saturate Bach's harmonies."
International record review
“On this
album, the excellent Peter Croton sheds new light on these works by presenting
them on an Italian Lute, an instrument also used in
www.new-classics.co.uk
“(Croton’s)
approach emphasizes a spoken, rhetorical manner of playing and use of suitable
affect in the dance movements. This results is a very warm, lively
interpretation that often allows the music an astonishing amount of breathing
space, while lending the dances a feeling of supple and spirited movement. The
result is an extraordinarily differentiated recording, which makes undisturbed,
concentrated listening a pleasurable experience.”
German Lute Society Lauten-Info 1/2009
"Goal
of this innovative CD: to play Bach on the archlute … The overall result is that
Bach’s music sounds particularly easy and comfortable in the original keys… the
Suite BWV 997 is tranquil, the
resonances of the long bass strings permitting moderate tempi and therefore a
good understanding of the compositional structures. The Suite BWV 995 in
g-minor (especially the Prelude) sounds even better, being rich in noble
harmonies and solemn cadences. The très viste sounds clear, and the dances flow
naturally, with good spirit, good rhythmical sense, and particularly
well-realized and well-integrated ornaments. The Suite BWV 1007 for cello
(arranged by Peter) reconciles us with the single strings because they
approximate more closely the deep and compact sonority of the original
instrument. The interpretation is very lively (Courante, Menuets) and even more
fluid and less heroic than on the cello! The disc concludes with “Bist du bei
mir” from the Anna Magdalena Bach Book, a beautiful song of popular origin,
arranged here with majestic arpeggios which become more and more luminous.
Bravo to Peter Croton for this innovative and pleasing CD!”
The French Lute Society, March 2009
“…Peter Croton's Bach on the Italian lute, which greatly pleases the ears even if it may ruffle the feathers of the purists. Here he gives enjoyable performances of three pieces (BWV995, 997 and 999) of the seven Bach works directed or arranged for lute in the composer's lifetime, plus Croton's own arrangements of the Cello Suite BWV1007 and of the lovely ‘Bist du bei mir’. He records in a wood-panelled room, much more authentic than the churches so often used for what is, after all, secular chamber music… The sound is indeed wonderfully clear, sweet and direct“
Early
Music Magazine, July 2010
“Musically
the performances work very well… very
liquid phrasing with a minimum of noise. Croton writes that his early
background as a folk and jazz guitarist enabled him to understand the
rhetorical modes of Baroque music, and indeed his performances have a
uniquely
expressive, rhythmically flexible quality… It's not a question of direct
jazz
influence, but of an effort to embody a mood and communicate it to a
listener.
The sound is another strong point. Grasping the point, seemingly elusive
for so
many musicians, that pieces of this kind would have been performed in a
small
"chamber" with likely wooden walls, not in a church, Croton chooses a
wood-paneled room in a
“Croton
is good, clearly enjoying and understanding the music… The Guild recording is
good, catching the darker tones of Croton’s instrument very well… The inclusion
of a transcription of Bist du bei mir as the short closing item is a real
bonus. It’s well played and correctly attributed to Heinrich Stölzel. I can’t
imagine anyone being disappointed with the purchase of this Guild recording;
I’ve enjoyed hearing it.”
musicweb-international
Remembrance of Things Past (Guild)
The CD opens with the
Preludium by John Dowland followed by two settings of Shakespeare by Croton.
The lute writing is sparse but idiomatic, with very strong melodic lines which
linger in the head; they are often reminiscent of Stephen Sondheim. My
favourite is the setting of ‘While you hear do snoring lie”, which has a
memorable lute part.
Theresia Bothe’s voice is
very individual. Her expressiveness comes from the emphasis and colouring of
certain words and the breaking of phrases, rather than ornamenting or varying
the music according to historical practise. This approach probably reflects her
interest and experiences with the more popular forms of music. She sings in
tune and her diction is generally good.
Croton approaches Dowland’s
songs in different ways. First, he offers them in the usual manner, i.e. as a
song with the lute part as written, but often he presents settings of the songs
in versions for solo lute before the song begins (‘Say Love if ever thou did’st
find’). Also, in the middle of a song he will often give the repeat sections to
the lute (‘Sleep wayward thoughts’). Listen also for the nice variations that
he makes in some songs when accompanying the voice (‘Now, O now’). Hearing all
this new material created by Croton is like discovering new works by Dowland,
such is his sense of style and his ability to emulate Dowland’s melodic gift.
Croton’s tone on the lute is good, his phrasing elegant and there is much
variety of articulation.
The last section of the CD
contains three more songs composed by Croton; the songs this time are for two
voices. Bothe is joined by Derek Lee Ragin. These songs are more adventurous,
but still very idiomatic for both voice and lute. I particularly like the
setting of the poet Rumi, where the lute has very oud-like flavour. The CD ends
with a new duo setting of ‘Now, O now’. You might consider Croton to be a brave
man in attempting to set such well-known words, but for me, within a few
moments of listening I had forgotten the original and was captivated by this
version.
If you are looking for a
fresh approach to traditional material, for new ways in programming, then try
this CD, it is full of surprises!”
"American lutenist Peter
Croton, now living in
"A recording
of voice and lute beginning with a lute
prelude, as if to start off an evening among music lovers, or a
concert…what a
wonderful idea! In the Preludium by Dowland, Peter’s sound is pleasing,
the
phrasing free and varied; he makes the most of the lute, as he does
throughout
the entire recording, in which there are plenty of, introductions,
arrangements and interludes. The
following piece (Remembrance)
begins in the same style, with a classic, fantasia-like theme - but soon
a number of dissonances appear….we find ourselves in
the twenty-first century! Then the voice
enters, with a skipping
melody but sung quite smoothly, accompanied by some delicate notes from
the
lute (few chords, but quite skillful imitations); the piece is
well-constructed
with lovely contrasts. In another work by Peter Croton, also based on a
text by
Shakespeare, the lute introduces a diatonic theme consisting of
descending slurred
notes, while the voice, exploring its entire range, approaches Sprechgesang
to finish with the cry
“awake!”
A dozen
Dowland songs follow, several “hits” (Flow my tears, Now O
now I need must part, Come heavy sleep, Come again – however with
the words
All the day…), but also some sublime “ayres” as well, such as Go
crystal
tears or Sorrow stay. The originality of this recording
lies in the numerous and convincing arrangements of these songs which
Peter has
created for solo lute, and uses as preludes, ritornellos between verses
or
postludes. He accompanies effectively, the bass nicely present and well
articulated, while the voice, though perhaps not quite dark enough in
the
tragic pieces, is light, clear and natural in the lively ones.
The last
three
pieces, by Peter Croton, are dialogues for two voices and lute. The
first piece
is particularly interesting because of the fine interaction among the
three
musicians (harmonious lute arpeggios, voices imitating each other and in
parallel movement). The second piece, based on a poem by Rumi (a
mystical Sufi
poet of the thirteenth century) sounds vividly oriental, full of
ornamentation,
with music which truly does justice to the text. As for the third piece:
surprise! Croton preserves the words and rhythms of Now O now I
need must part, but composes it for two voices,
with an original melody, accompanied by arpeggios…a mischievous wink to
round off this highly original
recording which gently
introduces lutenists to contemporary music. " (original in French)
The French Lute Society
"Blinders seem to be unfamiliar to Peter Croton and Theresia Bothe with regards to making music. They are as comfortable performing early music as they are folk and jazz. One inevitably thinks of Sting, who also tried his hand at Dowland. Unlike him however, Theresia Bothe avoids the artificiality which so quickly becomes mannered. With her beguiling naturalness and crystal-clear voice she does much more justice to the text and music, and succeeds in moving the emotions more strongly. Peter Croton, who contributes a few of his own compositions, impresses with his subtle virtuosity."
FONO FORUM 10/06
"'This is an unusual offering, and it’s very far from a conventional
single disc survey of Dowland’s music, either for lute or voice. Instead
it offers re-creationist possibilities and a more curious interplay
between his music and that of the performer-composer Peter Croton who
has been inspired by it. He has arranged a number of Dowland’s songs for
lute, Croton’s own instrument, and there are several of his own
compositions as well.
Croton is a fine lutenist, with an acute ear for colour, and he
possesses a strong technique… What gives this project even greater
resonance is the chosen singer, Theresia Bothe. Her voice continues the
theme of cross-current enshrined in the disc; it embodies elements of
classical purity in places but also has a decided folk influence more
commonly to be found among the Waterson and Wainwright clans. This is
deliberate of course, the better to inflect these arrangements with a
sense of intimacy, though whether it actually succeeds in transmuting –
or limiting – the original source material from the Books of Songs is
very much a matter of taste…
Croton’s own compositions occupy an equally modern ground, one akin to
music theatre, which is how Bothe delivers Remembrance of things past.
For the three remaining songs Derek Lee Ragin joins Croton… Do I detect
however, in Croton’s writing and playing, hints of the oud in the exotic
Rumi setting, giving it an even greater sense of place? So this is a
somewhat out of the way disc, pursuing a very individual slant on
Dowland, and succeeding more often than not."
MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL
"Lutenist Peter Croton presents an extraordinary view of John Dowland
and his world."
TOCCATA,
July-August 2010
"...music by John Dowland together with world premiere recordings of five new lute songs written and played by the excellent Peter Croton."
new-classics.co.uk
Italian
Lute Songs (Channel Classics)
"...tantalizingly
programmed and brilliantly executed."
Classic CD
The
Renaissance Lute - Yesterday and Today (Musicaphon)
"Peter
Croton does not limit the expressive range of his instrument. The fantasies by
Francesco da Milano sound unusually fresh and lively, and the works by John
Dowland are perfect examples of imaginative and tastefully differentiated
performances."
FonoForum
Sweeter
Than Roses (Balance)
"The
one common feature is Croton's excellent lute playing...he makes the most
elaborate passages sound effortless"
Lute News (The Lute Society,
Music
With Her Silver Sound (Acantus)
"Croton
displayed his mastery of the lute with some very agile finger work and
excellent projection of the themes in the contrapuntal sections, bringing out
the interplay of the melodic lines with clarity."
The Recorder Magazine
I'll Sing
a Song For You (ZahZah)
"Irish-Canadian
vocalist Theresia Bothe grew up in
All Music Guide, Michael G. Nastos
"Bothe
sings from her heart with a strong rich voice that will excite folk music
lovers as they expand their envelope. Our favorite was "Another day in
life with you" with a cool guitar intro by Peter."
O’s Place Jazz Newsletter, D. Oscar Groomes
"This
band creates a unique blend of folk pop and jazz. Bothe and Croton's music is
formed from the stylings of Billy Holiday and Kenny Burrell. The voice of
Theresia Bothe is a bit like Judie Collins and Joan Baez, so that definitely
fits with the theme of folk jazz.
There
also seems to be a dose of poetry-laced lyrics infused in some of these songs.
"On the death of Langston Hughes" has a slow melodic sound that is
more folk than jazz, but incorporates both styles. "Song for Billie
Holiday" has impressive guitar accompaniment with strong lyrics. The chordings
chosen by Croton fit this song to a tee. A subtle echo effect lends merit to
this track. The guitar tone is good and a slight tremolo sound is present.
"I'll Sing a Song for You" has an intro with jazz chords. It moves
into a faster ballad sung by Bothe and has cool jazz drumming and upright bass
on the track.
The CD
"I'll Sing a Song for You" has impressive vocals and jazz guitar
playing, which will make it appeal to fans of folk-laden jazz."
Metro Spirit, Rich McCracken II
"Two
talented pros travel the singer/songwriter route, with a little genre splicing
for flavor, and deliver a nice set of originals that goes down well and never
comes across as over reaching. Tackling
life’s big questions in song, this is the kind of under the radar, neo-folk
that gives you the easy kind of music you can kick back with but isn’t
fluff."
"I
really like Croton's guitar work, very much in the tradition of many jazz
guitarists throughout the years."
The Run-Off Groove, John Book