Wednesday 18 March 2015

Royall Consorts of Lawes

Despite appearances, this title does not refer to a historical document on jurisprudence which has made its way into my blog!  William Lawes was a well-known and respected musician and composer at the court of King Charles I of England.  His life came to a premature end when he fought on the side of the King during the Civil War, and was killed at the siege of Chester.  Perhaps it was the ultimate victory of the Puritans that prevented any publication of his music.  Given his high standing and reputation, the music certainly would have been published under other circumstances, for it circulated widely in handwritten copies.  Publications came later.

The Royall Consorts are a series of 10 suites of dances for an ensemble of two viols and two viola da gamba, with two theorbos (bass lute) supplying a plucked bass continuo.  The form is recognizably the ancestor of the type of suites composed a century later by Bach and Handel: a prelude to each suite (here called a "Fantazy") is followed by some mix of such dances as the "Saraband", "Aire", "Corant", "Alman", "Galliard" -- the very names draw attention to the structural similarity of later suites from other hands. In several cases, the dances appear in pairs of common type, also pointing towards later practice.

The actual music, on the other hand, is very much of its time and the closest resemblance among the better-known composers is found in the madrigals of Monteverdi -- their expressive lines, piquant dissonances, and emotional intensity are all here.

The ten suites or "Setts" together add up to some two hours of music.  The complete recording I have at hand comes from the enterprising ATMA Classique label in Quebec, and the recording sessions took place between 2002 and 2006.  The ensemble performing this stimulating and pleasurable music is called "Les Voix Humaines".  These artists bring the long-gone era of the Stuart court to life with their sprightly playing of this music.  The pieces cover a surprisingly large emotional range, greatly increasing their attraction to modern audiences.

This recording is a delightful find, and copies are still available.