Les Voix Humaines - Lawes: Royall Consorts (2012)

William Lawes, who died fighting in England's Civil War in 1645 (on the king's side), was a key figure in English composition between the giants Byrd and Purcell. He composed music in various genres, much of which had a quirky, progressive edge within the generally conservative framework of English music. These pieces for viol consort are a case in point. Two CDs of them are perhaps a bit dense but never dull, and this release from the Canadian label ATMA Classique could make a good introduction to Lawes' music. The Royall Consorts of the title are a collection of pieces for two treble viols (or violins), two bass viols, and a continuo consisting of two plucked strings (here theorbos). They are grouped into "setts," which bear a strong resemblance to the later French suite; they consist of from three to five dances, with all but the last beginning with a slow pavane. The instrumental forces indicate the novel quality in the music: it is poised right between polyphony and the new Italian vertical harmony, with the trappings of contrapuntal entrances quickly giving way to pungent dissonances, with the melody and bass lines emphasized in the texture. Montreal group Les Voix Humaines (instrumental, despite the name) delivers wonderfully intense performances, with Baroque violinists David Greenberg, Ingrid Matthews, and Olivier Brault zipping through the ornaments in the top lines and the whole group lingering over the chromatic colors. The sound from the St. Augustin church in suburban Montreal is too live, but this is less objectionable in viol music than in the usual run of more social Baroque genres. Recommended for lovers of English music and viol consort music specifically.