# William Lawes



## Orpheus

I've been listening quite a bit recently to the work of this English composer, who was active around what we might consider to be the cusp of the Baroque and Renaissance periods. My impression is of music with tremendous vigour and originality, full of intricate counterpoint and containing all sorts of dramatic and surprising harmonic and melodic twists, (including the frequent use of quite extreme dissonance for the era) that often resolves itself into something of great coherence and beauty from its torrent of seemingly conflicted elements.

His work strikes me as being worthy of comparison to the nearly contemporary Geusualdo, though Lawes was most significant as an instrumental composer, particularly for the peculiarly English form of the Viol Consort (which for those unfamiliar with it, I would regard as being roughly equivalent to the modern string quartet). He seems to have been one of the true masters of consort music, even alongside such significant composers as Purcell (the last to compose in the genre), Byrd, Dowland, Gibbons, etc.

It mystifies me that Lawes is not better known, particularly considering the upsurge in popularity of early music in recent years, and the distinctive, powerful, almost modernistic sound world he creates again and again in his compositions. Has anyone else heard him?

I wasn't able to find my favourite work, his Sett a 6 in g minor, online, so by way of example, here's something I did find, his Consort Sett a 6 in b flat major, an atractive but relatively conventional work. 




The G minor work is an essential listen to anyone who has even a passing interest in Lawes or the music of the period though. It really is quite astonishing.


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## Ukko

Lawes' use of 'extreme dissonance' was really not all that uncommon in music for viol consort. Robert Parsons (1530-1571 made use of it several generations before Lawes, as did William Byrd (c.1539-1623). Near as I can make out from the liner notes by Lawrence Dreyfus for the Phantasm CD "The Four Temperaments", Parsons might write long passages with seemingly unrelated parts for the various viols before 'allowing' them to resolve into harmony again.

If you enjoy music for consorts of viols, I happily recommend that CD, BTW. Those 'four temperaments' are Byrd, Ferrabosco I, Parsons and Tallis, all contemporaries.


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## clavichorder

Not a composer I knew, thank you for introducing him to me. I am very fond of viol consort music, so far only having explored Byrd, Gibbons, and Purcell. Interesting that he was later, this bridges the gulf for me a little, between the late Elizebethan composers and Purcell. Was Lawes a virginal/harpsichord composer as well?


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## hocket

I've got quite a bit of William Lawes (not so much of his brother, Henry, the noted songwriter though).

Whilst a noted composer for Viol Consort, he wrote in other formats too. The Royal Consorts are for a mixed ensemble, and the preferred treble instruments are violins not viols. There are excellent recordings by The Purcell Quartet and Monica Huggett's Sonnerie. I'd strongly advise getting one of these if you're interested in Lawes.

London Baroque have recorded a couple of collections of his sonatas, which I'd happily recommend.

I've also got his Harp Consorts recorded by Les Voix Humaines, which are worth a listen.

For his viol consorts the sets by Fretwork and by Phantasm are both excellent. I haven't heard the set by Concordia but I expect its pretty good too. Additionally, there's a mixed collection I've got by the Rose Consort.

*Claivichorder*, if you're looking to 'bridge the gap' you might want to look at Matthew Locke (and possibly John Jenkins and Christopher Simpson too if you're not already familiar with them). Lawes wasn't a virginalist by the way, however Locke was a noted keyboard composer.

An interesting set on this period that might be of interest is the Fretwork collection 'Celestiall Witchcraft' which focuses on the musical establishments of the Princes Henry and Charles (later Charles I). This includes music by Coprario, Ferrabosco the Younger, Orlando Gibbons and the young William Lawes amongst others.

Say, *Hiltroll72*, seeing as Robert Parsons isn't someone we get to speak of that often I was wondering if you or anyone else had heard The Cardinall's Musick's recording of his vocal polyphony. It's really impressive:


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## pollux

I've got this one:









Marvelous music and performances indeed!


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## hocket

*Correction:*I was listening to some Lawes and some Locke today, inspired by this thread, and noticed that in Monica Huggett's recording of the Royall Consorts that her band isn't called Sonnerie on this; it's actually The Greate Consort.


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