“Men are all criminals”—that’s how one might summarize the content of the song that

opens this program. Surprisingly, however, this song is sung in one of Shakespeare’s (1564–1616) comedies by a man, Balthasar. It is—how could it be otherwise—about love. But what kind of love are we talking about, and which men and women are the songs from around 1600 referring to?

Isabel Kraft (viola da gamba, hurdy-gurdy, vocals) attempts to approach this question from various angles and to draw closer to its answer through songs (primarily by John Dowland, 1563–1626), through translations, and through her own texts. Let yourself be drawn into an interplay of perspectives, into a wild mix of new and old—and rest assured: it all ends well. Even back then, the saying held true: "They're lovely after all."

(Translations and texts: Isabel Kraft, Richard Scherer)