Skip Sempé & Capriccio Stravagante - William Byrd: Virginal & Consorts (2017)

These are unusual but unusually loving accounts of a generous selection of Byrd's consort fantasias, pavans and galliards and keyboard pieces. Their unorthodoxy lies in performing the consort pieces with a mixed ensemble which by turns contrasts and blends the conventional sound of a group of viols with a parallel ensemble of recorders, not just from one number to another, but between different sections of the same piece. In places a harpsichord and/or a chittarone join in as well. The result is a rich and adaptable sound, one which will be a little troubling to purists no doubt but which is undeniably fresh and expressive, adding an imaginative and often surprisingly dramatic new dimension to the music. Capriccio Stravagante also adopt their customary and resourceful practice of grouping pieces together, even running consort and keyboard pieces together on occasion. The whole procedure--as also Skip Sempé's eloquent and lyrical harpsichord playing--suggests nothing less than the deepest affection for this superb music. --Lindsay Kemp