Portrait of Charles I, King of England, in a Frame with Allegorical Figures and Historical Representations, Anonymous, c. 1650
William Lawes - Suite for two lutes - Almand
Henry & William Lawes - lutes (Hans Meijer -lutes)
William Lawes (1602-45) was a composer at the court of Charles I and the younger brother of Henry Lawes, also a court composer. This duet suite is Lawes's only known lute composition and is found in an autograph source now in the Bodleian Library, Oxford (MS Mus Sch B2, p.86). Though all the music is titled and signed W Lawes the duets are known to be not entirely Lawes's work. The first lute part of the Alman is a solo Allemande by Rene Mesangeau, a leading French lutenist of the early 17th century. In addition, though no sources are known for the Corants the first lute part of each does look as if conceived as a solo to which a second part was added. Combining works from two composers in this way was common in the 17th century.
