1 MENU — TRACKLIST P. 4 ENGLISH P. 7 FRANÇAIS P. 17 DEUTSCH P. 27 2 Recording: église Notre-Dame de Centeilles, October 2019 Artistic direction, recording & editing: Jérôme Lejeune English translations: Peter Lockwood Deutsche Übersetzungen: Suzanne Lowien Traductions françaises: Catherine Meeùs Photos: L'Achéron, p 6 & 40 (Marine Ottogalli), virginal, p.20 (Bernard Hemeleers), organ, p. 37 (Marie Pierre Morel) Cover illustration: Anthonis van Dyck (1599–1641), Family portrait of Frans Snyders or Jan Wildens, ca 1618/19, Sint-Petersbourg, Ermitage Museum, © akg-images A CONSORT'S MONUMENT — L'ACHÉRON François Joubert-Caillet: treble viol & direction Andreas Linos: treble viol Marie-Suzanne de Loye: tenor viol Aude-Marie Piloz: tenor viol Amélie Chemin: bass viol Sarah van Oudenhove: bass viol Yoann Moulin: virginal Philippe Grisvard: consort organ 3 Giovanni Coperario (ca 1570/1580-1626) 1. Fantasia II a 6 in F 3'58 William Lawes (1602-1645) 2. Almaine a 3 in d 3'13 Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) 3. Rimanti in pace a 5 (Terzo Libro de Madrigali, 1592) 4'28 Christopher Simpson (1610-1669) 4. May a 3 in a (The Monthes) 4'46 5. Improvisation upon a Ground in B (after Christopher Simpson) 2'36 4 Alfonso Ferrabosco II (ca 1575-1628) 6. Four-Note Pavan a 5 3'54 John Ward (1571-1638) 7. Fantasia VII a 6 in c 4'25 William Lawes 8. Ayre a 6 in c 2'59 Giovanni Coperario 9. O voi che sospirate a 5 3'51 John Jenkins (1592-1678) 10. Newarke Seidge a 4 in D 5'15 11. Preludium (improvisation) & Gray’s Inn (Giovanni Coperario) 3'50 John Jenkins 12. Fantasia III a 6 in c 4'15 Thomas Lupo 13. Fantasia X a 6 in a 4'43 John Deering (ca 1580-1630) 14. Fantasia III a 5 in a 3'08 15. Preludium & Fortune my foe (improvisation) 3'58 5 Alfonso Ferrabosco II 16. Fantasia VI a 6 in C 3'43 William White (1571-ca 1634) 17. Fantasia II a 6 in d 3'35 The instruments Viols by Arnaud Giral between 2011 and 2017 Virginal by Jean-François Brun in 2018 Organ by Dominic Gwyn in 2019 6 L’ACHÉRON – A CONSORT’S MONUMENT DE — One of the many beauties provided by early music is the voyage in time and in space FR that they create: a distant surge of emotion can erupt in a few notes or harmonies and bear the listener and the performer away to places and times that otherwise we could only EN visit in dreams. This is the reason why, fascinated by the British consort of viols and by the 17th century in that land, we began to assemble a body of instruments in 2012 that would allow us to make such a voyage as realistic as possible. After exhaustive research and musicological study, a full consort of six English viols was built one by one by Arnaud MENU Giral; these instruments are probably the most authentic examples extant today and were the first modern recreation of a matched consort of viols. They were first heard on our recording Orlando Gibbons, Fancies for the viols that was released in 2017. The following step was to add matching keyboard instruments to the viols. The English 7 school of building organs and virginals, like that of viol making, was very different from its Continental equivalents; although today we know well what the sound of a French viol or of Flemish keyboards should be, it is much more difficult to arrive at a definition of the sound of the English instruments. The English sound world of that time was highly discreet and has not yet been sufficiently explored, although it reveals individual and unique timbres that contrast strongly with what we know of the French, Italian and German schools of the time. It was for this reason that, thanks to the impetus given to the project by Andreas Linos, a characteristically English virginal and organ were built in the workshops of Jean-François Brun and of Dominic Gwynn respectively over the past few years. Of the many volumes of source material that we perused during our research, one of the works that inspired us the most was Thomas Mace’sMusick’s Monument (1676), in which Mace gives extremely precise descriptions of a great number of details concerning the constitution and playing of the consort of viols in the 17th century. He recommends, for example, that we play on viols that are proportionate in size to each other: "What Instruments were us’d, and how in the Best Old Musick. And These Things were Performed, upon so many Equal, and Truly-Seiz’d Viols; and so Exactly Strung, Tun’d, and Play’d upon, as no one Part was any Impediment to the Other ; but still (as the Composition required) by Intervals, each Part Amplified, and Heightned the Other; The Organ Evenly, Softly, and Sweetly Acchording to All." "The Best Provision for Viols […]. You r Best Provision, (and most Compleat) will be, a Good Chest of Viols; Six, in Number; viz. 2 Basses, 2 Te n o rs , and 2 Trebles: All Truly, and Proportionably Suited." 8 He also explains the circumstances in which consort music was performed and the effect that it produced: "The manner and Effects of our Musick in the late former Times, to be Imitated as the Best in the World. We had for our Grave Musick, Fancies of 3, 4, 5, and 6 Parts to the Organ; Interpos’d (now and then) with some Pavins, Allmaines, Solemn, and Sweet Delightful Ayres; all which were (as it were) so many Pathettical Stories, Rhetorical, and Sublime Discourses; Subtil, and Accute Argumentations; so Suitable, and Agreeing to the Inward, Secret, and Intellectual Faculties of the Soul and Mind; that to set Them forth according to theirTrue Praise, there are no Words Sufficient in Language; yet what I can best speak of Them, shall be only to say, That They have been to my self, (and many others), as Divine Raptures, Powerfully Captivating all our unruly Faculties, and Affections, (for the Time) and disposing us to Solidity, Gravity, and a Good Temper, making us capable of Heavenly, and Divine Influences. ’Tis Great Pity Few Believe Thus Much; but Far Greater, that so Few Know It." The composers who were played: The Names of many of our Best Authors Deceased. "TheAuthors of such like Compositions, have been divers Famous English Men, and Italians ; some of which, for Their very Great Eminency, and Worth, in that Particular Faculty, I will here name, viz. Mr. Alfonso Ferabosco, Mr. John Ward, Mr. Lupo, Mr. White, Mr. Richard Deering, Mr. William Lawes, Mr. John Jenkins, Mr. Christopher Simpson, Mr. Coperario, and one Monteverde, a Famous Italian Author; besides divers, and very many others, who in Their Late Time, were All Substantial, Able, and Profound Composing Masters in This Art, and have left Their Works behind Them, as fitMonuments , and Patterns for Sober, and Wise Posterity, worthy to be Imitated, and Practiced: Tis Great Folly they are so soon Forgot, and Neglected, as I perceive they are amongst many." 9 The use of the organ to accompany the consort: "The Chief Office of the Organ in Consort. Because the Organ stands us in stead of a Holding, Uniting-Constant-Friend; and is a Touch-stone, to try the certainty of All Things; especially the Well- keeping the Instruments in Tune, &c. And in This Service the Organ should be Equally Heard to All; but especially to the Performers Themselves, who cannot well Perform, without a Distinct Perceivance Thereof." And the use of the harpsichord (and also of the virginal) when desired: "The Organ not always a proper Instrument for Consorts. But when we would be most Ayrey, Jocond, Lively and Spruce; Then we hadChoice , and Singular Consorts, either for 2, 3, or 4 Parts, but not to the Organ (as many (now a day) Improperly, and Unadvisedly (perform such like Consorts with) but to the Harpsicon. We seek to pay homage to Thomas Mace and to his work through this recording by assembling various works by the composers he mentions. Given that we would also like to present the virginal and the organ in solo works, although Mace’s composers wrote either extremely little or not at all for them, our keyboard players have improvised preludes based on a ground from Christopher Simpson’s Division-Violist (1659) and the song Fortune my foe. We should remember that improvisation was common practice during the 17th century and that English musicians were renowned for their improvisational skills throughout Europe. In contrast, the variety of writing and of instrumental colour in these pieces shows how far these works for consort of viols could be both monumental yet intimate, and as impressive as they are touching; they depict a Universal Harmony, a celestial vault in which the highest 10 ideas and human emotions are freely expressed, a moral and spiritual music that nourishes both the heart and the spirit. Our grateful thanks go to Eva Godard for the loan of her dessus de viole. FRANÇOIS JOUBERT-CAILLET The composers ofMusick’s Monument Thomas Mace published a vast theoretical work —Musick’s Monument, or a remembrancer Of the Best Practical Musick, both divine and civil, that has ever been known, to have been in the World — in London in 1676. The Monument is divided into three parts, the first being devoted to Anglican polyphonic vocal music, the second and the largest to the lute, its manufacture, playing techniques and repertoire, whilst the third is dedicated to the viol and musical practice in general.