This is something of a revelatory disc, given that Ward’s
posthumous reputation lies more with his madrigals - not that
his status has ever been especially exalted, on disc at least.
But these performances - outstanding in every way - do much to
re-establish him as a major composer for instrumental forces
and his most favoured consort music for four, five and six viols.
Phantasm has chosen to record the music for five and six viols.
Ward lived in London, working for Sir Henry Fanshawe, and his
consort music was certainly well enough known in his lifetime.
It exists in a number of seventeenth century editions and was
subject to significant praise by a musician and writer called
Thomas Mace who spoke of its ‘great eminence and worth…fit
monuments and patterns for sober and wise posterity.’ Maybe
posterity has caught up with Mace’s estimation and with
Ward’s consort music at last.
Most of the Fantasias are tripartite, as it were, with a three
section schema. All are thoroughly well written, expressive,
and accomplished. It’s best to listen to a set of, say,
three or four at a time, not because they are repetitious but
because their moods are broadly similar in effect if not in detail.
Fortunately he was something of a minor master of syncopation
and this keeps things alive. He is also superbly adept at contrastive
material. The remarkably agile dance patterns infiltrated into
the writing give great strength and variety to the music. One
thinks of the Fantasia a 3 a6 [track 2] where the unhurried ease
of the outer sections is explicitly contrasted with the masque-like
dance patterns of the central panel. The fluidity of the writing,
as well, is a constant feature - the Fantasia No.4 a6 is a particularly
fine example. And so too is the warmly textured consort writing
itself, so wonderfully realised by Phantasm, who play with the
utmost refinement but never inflate the Fantasias nor seek to
underline expressive points that emerge the better for their
noble eloquence.
Lest one think otherwise it’s not all mellifluously aerated
consort textures. There are strong dissonances, ripe antiphonal
statements, and a highly expressive number of shifting, drifting
harmonies, of which a Fantasia No. 3 a5 [track 11] is a prime
example. There are also Madrigalian cadences in the more vocalised
settings such as the Fantasia No.5 a5 [track 13] and this vocalised
impress translated into instrumental form, a product of his immersion
in Italian vocal music, makes itself explicitly heard in the
extrovert flourishes of the Fantasia No.11 a5
Cor mio.
It remains only to add that the booklet is finely produced, and
provocatively engaging. The recorded sound is fittingly warm
and excellent. Really this is a first class package, and a distinguished
release.
Jonathan Woolf
Track listing
Fantasia No. 1 a6 (VdGS 1) [3:25]
Fantasia No. 3 a6 (VdGS 3) 3:34]
Fantasia No. 6 a6 (VdGS 6) [4:02]
Fantasia No. 2 a6 (VdGS 2) [2:55]
Fantasia No. 4 a6 (VdGS 4) [3:37]
Fantasia No. 5 a6 (VdGS 5) [2:38]
Fantasia No. 7 a6 (VdGS 7) [3:24]
In Nomine No. 1 a6 (VdGS 1) [3:53]
Fantasia No. 1 a5 Dolce Languir (VdGS 1) [3:01]
Fantasia No. 2 a5 La Rondinella (VdGS 2) [3:47]
Fantasia No. 3 a5 (VdGS 3) [3:31]
Fantasia No. 4 a5 (VdGS 4) [3:00]
Fantasia No. 5 a5 (VdGS 5) [3:08]
Fantasia No. 6 a5 (VdGS 6) [2:50]
Fantasia No. 7 a5 (VdGS 7) [3:33]
Fantasia No. 8 a5 (VdGS 8) [3:08]
Fantasia No. 9 a5 (VdGS 9) [3:18]
Fantasia No. 10 a5 (VdGS 10) [3:18]
Fantasia No. 11 a5 Cor Mio (VdGS 12) [3:15]
Fantasia No. 13 a5 Non fu senze (VdGS 14) [2:57]
Fantasia No. 12 a5 Leggiada sei (VdGS 13) [4:25]
In Nomine a5 (VdGS 14) [3:29]
In Nomine No. 2 a6 (VdGS 2) [3:42]
Phantasm 
