Henrik Persson, Caroline Ritchie, Lynda Sayce, James Akers
65:26
Barn Cottage Records BCR 027
The Newe Vialles of the title is the name taken by this excellent group of musicians: the “Old Viols” are the bass viols by John Pitts (1675) and Edward Lewis (1703) respectively, which come together on this CD in the capable hands of Henrik Persson and Caroline Ritchie. The latter’s engaging programme note makes it clear that the players set out by imagining what the two owners of these venerable instruments might have played if they had encountered one another. The result is a beautifully varied programme of music by Benjamin Hely, Christopher Simpson, John Jenkins and William Young with interludes for guitar and theorbo/lute by Nicola Matteis and Daniel Norcombe and from the Balcarres Lute Book. As in Henrik Persson’s CD of solo bass viol music, which he plays on the Edward Lewis viol, the stars of this recording are the “Old Viols” whose sonorous tone and immediacy of articulation belie their extreme old age. Both instruments have been extensively restored, but we can be sure that it is their richness of tone which, in part, has ensured their survival to the present day. It is thrilling to hear these remarkable musical survivors in the hands of expert players such as Persson and Ritchie, while the selection of repertoire, which goes far beyond the obvious, provides a compelling picture of music-making in the 17th and early 18th centuries. The choice of Baroque guitar and theorbo/lute for the continuo role, on the basis that these are instruments likely to be found in most households at the time, provides a satisfying consort sound that complements the viols to perfection.
D. James Ross