Henry Lawes

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Henry Lawes (baptized December 5, 1595 in Dinton ( Wiltshire ), † October 21, 1662 in London ) was an English musician and composer .

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Henry Lawes received his musical training from John Cooper , better known under his Italian pseudonym Giovanni Coperario , a famous composer of his time. In 1626 Lawes became one of the Gentlemen of the Chapel Royal at the English court, a position he held until English church music was dissolved by the Commonwealth of Nations . Lawes continued his work as a composer during this period, and the famous collection of his vocal music entitled Ayres and Dialogues for One, Two and Three Voyces appeared in 1653, followed by two more volumes of the same title from 1655 and 1658 ( The editor was John Playford ). During the Restoration of the British Monarchy in 1660, Lawes returned to the Royal Chapel and composed an anthem for the coronation of King Charles II. Lawes is buried in Westminster Abbey .

Lawe's name is also known outside of musical circles, as he had a close friendship with John Milton , for whose Masque Comus he contributed the incidental music for the first performance in 1634. The poet returned the favor with a sonnet in which Lawes' arts are described. A special talent for congenially capturing poetic texts in music, which is otherwise ascribed to Henry Purcell and Benjamin Britten in English music , can also be seen in Lawes. At the same time his music is rich in melodic ingenuity and shows a highly developed contrapuntal style in his concert music .

Henry Lawes was the brother of the composer William Lawes .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Frederick Noad: The Frederick Noad Guitar Anthology. 4 volumes. Ariel Publications, New York 1974; Reprints (with CD): Amsco Publications, New York / London / Sydney 1992 and 2002, UK ISBN 0-7119-0958-X , US ISBN 0-8256-9950-9 ; here: Volume 2: The Baroque Guitar. New edition: Hal Leonard, Milwaukee, ISBN 978-0-8256-1811-6 , pp. 28 and 32 f.