William Lawes: Complete Music For Solo Lyra Viol

Richard Boothby - viola da gamba

William Lawes: Prelude, VdGS 435 Prelude, VdGS 435 William Lawes: Country Coll, VdGS 421 Country Coll, VdGS 421 William Lawes: A Jigge, VdGS 422 A Jigge, VdGS 422 William Lawes: Almain, VdGS 491 Almain, VdGS 491 William Lawes: Coranto, VdGS 512 Coranto, VdGS 512 William Lawes: Almain, VdGS 461 Almain, VdGS 461 William Lawes: Coranto, VdGS 423 Coranto, VdGS 423 William Lawes: Air, VdGS 596Air, VdGS 596 William Lawes: Almain, VdGS 462 Almain, VdGS 462 William Lawes: Complete Music for Solo Lyra Viol: Coranto VdGS 424 Complete Music for Solo Lyra Viol: Coranto VdGS 424 William Lawes: Almaine, VdGS 511 Almaine, VdGS 511 William Lawes: Coranto, VdGS 513 Coranto, VdGS 513 William Lawes: Saraband, VdGS 514 Saraband, VdGS 514 William Lawes: Almain, VdGS 463 Almain, VdGS 463 William Lawes: Coranto, VdGS 465 Coranto, VdGS 465 William Lawes: Saraband, VdGS 467 Saraband, VdGS 467 William Lawes: Almain, VdGS 543 Almain, VdGS 543 William Lawes: Coranto, VdGS 541 Coranto, VdGS 541 William Lawes: Almaine, VdGS 464 Almaine, VdGS 464 William Lawes: Corrant, VdGS 425 Corrant, VdGS 425 William Lawes: Saraband, VdGS 434 Saraband, VdGS 434 William Lawes: Almain (Pavan), VdGS 542 Almain (Pavan), VdGS 542 William Lawes: Coranto, VdGS 544 Coranto, VdGS 544 William Lawes: Almain, VdGS 430 Almain, VdGS 430 William Lawes: Corant, VdGS 426 Corant, VdGS 426 William Lawes: Sarabrand, VdGS 433 Sarabrand, VdGS 433 William Lawes: Corant, VdGS 427 Corant, VdGS 427 William Lawes: Saraband, VdGS 591 Saraband, VdGS 591 William Lawes: Corant, VdGS 428 Corant, VdGS 428 William Lawes: Saraband, VdGS 466 Saraband, VdGS 466 William Lawes: Coranto, VdGS 545 Coranto, VdGS 545 William Lawes: Coranto, VdGS 546 Coranto, VdGS 546 William Lawes: Corant, VdGS 429 Corant, VdGS 429 William Lawes: Corant, VdGS 431 Corant, VdGS 431 William Lawes: Sarabrand, VdGS 432 Sarabrand, VdGS 432

Some of the most famous English composers of the 17th century wrote pieces for the lyra viol, or even entire anthologies. These composers include John Cooper, John Jenkins, Christopher Simpson, Charles Coleman, and William Lawes. Due to the number of strings and their rather flat layout, the lyra viol can approximate polyphonic textures, and because of its small size and large range, it is more suited to intricate and quick melodic lines than the larger types of bass viol. Employed as “musician in ordinary for lutes and voices” at the court of Charles I, English composer Lawes (1602-1645) is most admired today for his sublime suites for viol consort. His less familiar solo repertoire for lyra-viol is performed here by Richard Boothby, a founder member of Fretwork, on the best preserved instrument of the period (Richard Meares, c. 1647-1725) which is now part of the Kessler Collection in the museum of the Royal College of Music, London.

Price: $26.98