William Lawes

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William Lawes

William Lawes (born late April 1602 in Salisbury , Wiltshire , † 24 September 1645 ) was an English composer and musician .

Life

William Lawes was born in Salisbury / Wiltshire at the end of April 1602 and was baptized on May 1st of the same year. He was the son of Thomas Lawes , a cantor at Salisbury Cathedral , and the brother of the equally successful composer Henry Lawes .

His patron Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford , had him learn from John Coperario , who probably introduced Lawes to Charles, the Prince of Wales , at a young age . Both William and his older brother Henry were given court positions after Charles succeeded Charles I to the British throne. William Lawes spent his entire subsequent life in the service of King Charles I.

After Charles I disputes with Parliament had sparked the civil war , Lawes joined the royalist army and received a post in the royal bodyguard. Charles actually wanted to protect his court composer, but he was shot by a parliamentarian on September 24, 1645 during a massacre of royalists at Rowton Heath near Chester . The author of his epitaph concludes with a play on words:

Want. Lawes was slain by such whose wills were laws.

(Will. Lawes - slain by those whose will was law.)

music

Lawes composed secular music and songs for the courtly " masques ", as well as sacred anthems and motets for the royal private worship services. Today he is best known for his suites for viol consort of three to six voices, as well as for his music for lyre viol .

Characteristic of his music is the trend- setting theme construction that takes place over large arcs and consists of small motivic cells that are processed contrapuntally , as well as the overflowing, often strongly chromatic harmony . In his Fantasy Sonatas for one or two violins, bass viol and keyboard instrument, Lawes developed an instrument-oriented voice guidance that is distributed over several instruments and foreshadows the openwork work of the Viennese Classic.

Discography

  • For ye violls: Consort setts in 5 & 6 parts (Fretwork & Paul Nicholson; Virgin Classics 91187-2; 1991)
  • Sonatas for violin, bass viol and organ (London Baroque; Harmonia Mundi HMA 1901493; 1994)
  • Fantasia Suites for two violins, bass viol and organ (The Purcell Quartet; Chandos CHAN0552, 1994)
  • Royall Consort Suites (The Purcell Quartet with Nigel North & Paul O'Dette; Chandos CHAN0584 / 5, 1995)
  • Consort Music for Viols, Lutes and Theorbos (The Rose Consort of Viols, Timothy Roberts, Jacob Heringman & David Miller; Naxos 8.550601; 1995)
  • Royall Consort Suites vol 1 (The Greate Consort; Gaudeamus CD GAU146, 1995)
  • Concord is conquer'd: Consort setts for 5 & 6 viols. 4 Herrick songs. Pieces for lyra viol (Fretwork, Catherine Bott, Richard Boothby & Paul Nicholson; Virgin Classics 5451472; 1995)
  • Royall Consort Suites vol 2 (The Greate Consort; CD GAU147, 1997)
  • The Royal Consort & lute songs (René Jacobs, Sigiswald Kuijken, Lucy van Dael, Wieland Kuijken, Toyohiko Satoh, Edward Witsenbug, Gustav Leonhardt; Sony Classical 1997)
  • Fantazia suites for violin, bass viol and organ (Music's Re-creation; Centaur CRC 2385; 1998)
  • Suites pour une et trois lyra-violes (Jonathan Dunford, Sylvia Abramowicz & Sylvia Moquet; Adès 465 607-2; 1998)
  • Consorts in four and five parts (Phantasm & Sarah Cunningham; Channel Classics CCS 15698; 2000)
  • Consorts in six parts (Phantasm, Susanne Braumann & Varpu Haavisto; Channel Classics CCS 17498; 2002)
  • Consort sets in five & six parts, (Hespèrion XXI, Jordi Savall, Alia Vox AV9823A, AV9823B; 2002)
  • William Lawes: Knock'd on the Head - Music For Viols. (Concordia, Metronome MET CD 1045; 2002)
  • William Lawes: In loving memory. (Musica Oscura 070972-2)
  • William Lawes: Consorts to the Organ (Phantasm, Dir. By Laurence Dreyfus, Daniel Hyde - organ; Linn Records CKD 399)

swell

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Lawes, William
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English composer
DATE OF BIRTH April 1602
PLACE OF BIRTH Salisbury , Wiltshire
DATE OF DEATH September 24, 1645