Henrik Persson | Andrew Benson-Wilson : Early Music Reviews +

The Edward Lewis viol of 1703
Henrik Persson
Barn Cottage Recordings BCR028. 72’44

Hely Suite in A minor; Suite in A major
Brown Three Ayres
Telemann Fantasia no. 6 in G major; Fantasia no. 7 in G minor
Sumarte Prelude and Daphne, Monsieur’s Almain, Lachryme; Fortune my Foe
Anon Dances from the Williamsburg Musick Song Book
Anon Suite in D major from the Brünner MS
Hume Good Againe

A companion recording to Newe Vialles Old Viols, reviewed here, focuses on the 1703 Edward Lewis bass viol, played by Henrick Persson. The music is by Benjamin Hely, Thomas Brown, Telemann, Richard Sumarte and Tobias Hume, together with dances from the Williamsburg Musick Song Book of 1738 (the only known compositions for viola da gamba from an 18th-century American source) and traces the development of solo viol music from Hume up to the time of Telemann. There are 14 bass viols by Edward Lewis known to have survived to the present day, of which only seven are in performance condition. The one used on this recording is the only playable one in the UK, owned by the viol maker, Jane Julier, who loaned the instrument. The sound is absolutely gorgeous, with rich and resonant harmonics, here helped by a generous acoustic.

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Newe Vialles Old Viols
Newe Vialles
Barn Cottage Recordings BCR027. 65’26

Benjamin Hely (d.1699): Sonatas in G minor and B flat major
Christopher Simpson (c.1604-1669): Divisions in C major and F major
John Jenkins (1592-1678): Dances and Divisions in G minor
William Young (d.1662): Duos for two bass viols
Daniel Norcombe (c.1576-1655): Tregian’s Ground
Nicola Matteis (c.1650-after 1714): Pieces for guitar and continuo
and arrangements of tunes from Playford and Sumarte

The possibly confusing title of this recording needs some explanation. As I understand it, Newe Vialles is the group’s name and Old Viols the title of the recording. Newe Vialles was founded in 2015 by Henrik Persson and Caroline Ritchie, the name coming from the “Newe Vialles” of Henry VIII’s court which replaced the “old vialles” (rebecs or fiddles), starting a long tradition of English viol-playing. My previous reviews of Newe Vialles can be found here. For this recording, they are in their consort format, with Henrik Persson and Caroline Ritchie joined by Lynda Sayce (theobo and lute) and James Akers (baroque guitar). Their programme is music for two division viols, played on two original English viols by John Pitts (1675) and Edward Lewis (1703). The concept for the recording is stated as … “If the original owners of these viols had met, what music might they have played? The programme encompasses repertoire from the latest sonatas by Benjamin Hely (who himself owned a viol by Pitts) to divisions by Christopher Simpson and John Jenkins, duos by William Young, and arrangements of popular tunes and grounds from the time. An imaginary glimpse into a private music meeting in the early years of the 18th century.”

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