For Lovers of Consort Music

Consort is the term used for a small instrumental ensemble in music written before 1700, according to New Grove. Such an ensemble could comprise various instruments, either from the same family (violins, viols, transverse flutes, recorders) or of different families. Although music for such a line-up was written across Europe in the Renaissance and the 17th century, the term 'consort music' has become especially associated with music for instrumental ensembles written in England. There consort music seems to have been more popular and more widespread among the music-loving community, and held in esteem much longer than elsewhere. The large repertoire and the fact that Henry Purcell composed the last consort music at the end of the 17th century, when the latest fashions from France and Italy had conquered England, attest to that. It was in particular the consort of viols that was popular in England. The first viols reached the country in the early 16th century, under the reign of Henry VIII.

For most of the 16th century consort music seems to have been intended for professional players, especially at the court and ecclesiastical institutions, such as the Chapel Royal. Early specimens of consort music were often based on plainchant subjects. A number of such pieces can be found in the oeuvre of Christopher Tye. John Dowland may have been one of the first who broke away from sacred connections, in particular with his collection Lachrimae These pieces, based on his song Flow my tears, reflect the melancholic fashion of his days. He added a number of other, mostly more cheerful pieces, some of which are also based on his own songs.

The Lachrimae have gained cult status in our time, and there is hardly a consort of viols that has these pieces not on its repertoire. They are also very well represented on disc, not only in the standard line-up of viols, but also on other instruments, even played with a larger ensemble. A performance on viols is the most satisfying, at least in the case of the Lachrimae pavans, as they are ideally suited to bring about their melancholic nature. The ensemble Musicall Humors [1], consisting of five viole da gamba and lute, recorded the entire collection for Alpha. It is an ensemble of highly qualified players, all of whom have made a name for themselves as soloists in other repertoire. That does not guarantee good ensemble, but here everything is right as far as that is concerned. The lute probably plays a more prominent role than in some other recordings, but that may also be due to the recording. Overall I am happy with these performances, which are rhythmically flexible and dynamically differentiated.

Ensembles may take different decisions with regard to the order of the pieces; here each Lachrimae pavan is followed by a lighter-weight dance. That creates much variation, and it is questionable whether Dowland expected the Lachrimae pavans to be played as a cycle. However, I prefer to hear them in succession. Others may feel differently. Whatever is the case, this is definitely a recording to investigate.

Dowland was undoubtedly one of the main composers of consort music, and his music is among the most frequently-performed and -recorded. Other famous composers of such music are of later generations, especially William Lawes and John Jenkins. The former figures in a programme recorded by Philippe Pierlot with his Ricercar Consort [2]. The title of the disc, "Distracted Tymes", refers to a piece by Thomas Tomkins, Sad Pavan: for these distracted times, which dates from 1649 - the year that Charles I was executed. It marks the end of the period that this recording covers. It was a time of great political turmoil, which also had far-reaching effects on the music scene. One of the prominent victims of the battle between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians was William Lawes, who, fighting on the side of the former, died in battle in 1645. He was one of the most prolific composers of consort music, and one of the most individual, for instance in the realm of harmony.

In the programme recorded by the Ricercar Consort he is represented with lesser-known pieces: six works for three 'lyra viols'. The lyra viol is basically the same as the bass viol, and most music written for the lyra viol was also played on that instrument. There are some small differences between the lyra viol and the bass viol, though. In The Division-Violist of 1659 Christopher Simpson writes that the lyra viol has lighter strings and that the bridge is less rounded. The strings of the lyra viol are fitted more closely to the fingerboard than those of the consort bass. Music specifically intende for the lyra viol was written down in lute tablature which allowed the use of different tunings and the playing of chords. That has a special effect in the performances of these pieces.

The programme also includes pieces by unfamiliar masters, such as Charles Coleman and Thomas Brewer. It is extended with two keyboard works by John Bull, played on the organ by Maude Gratton. Tomkins' piece mentioned above is also for keyboard, but - as in other cases - can be played as consort music. The organ also joins the viols in some pieces, which was common practice at the time. Such an accompaniment was especially used to keep the players in tune, which attests to the growing popularity of consort music among (aristocratic) amateurs. The Ricercar Consort covers a wide repertoire, from the 16th to the early 19th century, but here they return to their roots, and do so brilliantly. They produce a beautiful sound, the ensemble is immaculate, and the transparency remarkable. The perfect intonation makes the harmonic peculiarities, especially in Lawes, clearly discernible.

His very own idiom comes also to the fore on the next disc, in which Lawes appears alongside John Jenkins, one of the most revered and distinguished composers of 17th-century England, whose long life covered three different political stages and the changes from the style of the Renaissance to that of the Baroque. He played a major role in all of them. What is notable in all the pieces recorded by Roberto Gini and his Ensemble Concerto [3] is that the upper parts are not played on treble viols, but rather on violins. They were handled as alternatives, which indicates that the violin was treated as a consort instrument, not as a (virtuosic) solo instrument, as it was to become in the second half of the century.

In this programme we find again a piece referring to the political upheaval: in his Nuwark Seidge Jenkins depicts the clash of opposing sides in the siege of Newark in 1646, the mourning for the dead and the celebration of victory through a pavan and a galliard. The main part of the programme consists of four so-called Fantasia-suites, two by Lawes and two by Jenkins. The term 'fantasia-suite' is a modern invention; at the time of the two composers there was no particular term to describe pieces comprising a fantasia, followed by two other pieces, either dances (almain, corant, pavan, galliard) or airs. John Coprario, the teacher of Lawes, was the first who composed such works. Like Coprario, Jenkins and Lawes added an organ part to the violins and viols. Whereas Lawes specified the upper parts to be played on violins, Jenkins required treble instruments, leaving the choice to the performers.

The differences come to the fore especially in the use of harmony, where Lawes is more adventurous than Jenkins. That makes this combination of pieces all the more interesting, as it shows the variety within the genre. Roberto Gini and his colleagues deliver excellent performances, which are lively in the fast movements and have much depth and solemnity in the slower ones. The Nuwark Seidge is given a truly theatrical performance.

From Lawes to Matthew Locke is not a big step. When Lawes died, Locke was in his early twenties, and stylistically he was his own man as much as Lawes had been. The two recordings by the ensemble Phantasm [4/5] make that abundantly clear. There is also a structural connection between the two. In two of the three collections from which the pieces on these two discs are taken - Consort of four parts and The Flat Consort for my cousin Kemble - he opens with a fantazie; in the latter there are even two such pieces in the suite. In the Flat Consort the opening fantazie starts with a slow section, followed by a fugue. Therefore these suites can be considered an extension of Lawes' fantasia-suites.

In both collections the scoring is for viols; in the third collection, The Little Consort, from which some suites are played on the first of the two discs, violin and treble viol are mentioned as alternatives. In all three collections Locke added a basso continuo ad libitum. This part can be played on an organ or a plucked instrument; here Elizabeth Kenny plays this part on the theorbo.

The booklets include informative analyses of Locke's consort music; Laurence Dreyfus, the director of Phantasm, also puts him into his historical context. There are also interesting observations with regard to his stylistic idiosyncracies, which may well reflect his character. And his character may have been formed by experiences in his youth. Apart from that, Locke may have been aware that he was one of the last representatives of a style that was soon to come to an end.

Phantasm is one of the top-class consorts of viols in a world full of excellent ensembles of this kind. Its discography is impressive, and these two outstanding discs, which bring us as closely as possible to the unique musical idiom of Matthew Locke, are two further jewels in its crown. As Locke has left a considerable amount of consort music, it is to be hoped that Phantasm continues its exploration of his oeuvre.

In a way, this review ends as it started: with music that is very popular and frequently performed. Henry Purcell's fantasias have a kind of cult status, just like Dowland's Lachrimae. With these pieces Purcell bids the Renaissance farewell: although intended for viols, such instruments may not have been available for performance, with the exception of the bass viol. This may have been the motivation of some ensembles, such as the John Holloway Ensemble [6], to use violins instead, also keeping in mind that composers from the first half of the 17th century included parts for violin in their consort music, as we have seen, or indicated that it could be used as an alternative to the treble viol.

That said, it is important to keep in mind that these pieces are rooted in the tradition of consort music. Purcell was well aware of that. He was strongly influenced by Matthew Locke, whom he commemorated in an elegy. His influencec is discernible in his bold use of harmony, in his oeuvre in general, but certainly also in these fantasias. From that perspective the style of playing should be more in line with that which was common before the Restoration, when the new fashion from Italy had not yet conquered the country. In the recording by the John Holloway Ensemble the performers use a style that is more Italian than English, with strong dynamic differences. An telling example is the Fantazia III.

The ensemble consists of violin, two violas and cello. The latter is the most problematic part of it. In fact, its use has to be considered anachronistic. The fantasias are dated 1680, and at that time the 'baroque cello', as we know it today, only just made its appearance on the music stage in Italy. It is highly unlikely that Purcell knew it, or even has ever used it in his life. It was only about twenty years after his death that the cello started to become a common instrument in England. So, even when performers decide to play violins and violas rather than viole da gamba, the lowest part can only be played on the bass viol, probably with the bass violin as an alternative. This recording of the fantasias can hardly be considered an valuable addition to the discography. In that light, the short playing time - a little over 40 minutes - is not much of a problem.

[1] John Dowland: "[Complete] Lachrimae"
Musicall Humors
Alpha 944 (© 2023) details

[2] "Distracted Tymes"
Ricercar Consort/Philippe Pierlot
Mirare MIR648 (© 2024) details

[3] "Fantasia-Suites - John Jenkins and his 'most esteemed friend' William Lawes"
Ensemble Concerto/Roberto Gini
Aulicus Classics ALC 0087 (© 2022) details

[4] Matthew Locke: "For Lovers of Consort Music"
Phantasm/Laurence Dreyfus
Linn CKD 594 (© 2018) details

[5] Matthew Locke: "Consorts Flat and Sharp"
Phantasm/Laurence Dreyfus
Linn CKD 737 (© 2024) details

[6] Henry Purcell: "Fantazias"
John Holloway Ensemble
ECM 2249 (© 2023) details