Masques, a Montreal-based early music trio (baroque violin, bass viol, chamber organ) was the grand prize winner in the Dorian-Early Music America Recording Competition, and the performances here of consort music by 17th-century English composer Matthew Locke certainly offer solid justification of that award. Like a well-knit sweater that’s tightly woven but stretches where it’s supposed to, this group’s playing is notable for its well-shaped phrasing, well-formed lines, and boldly struck rhythms. It’s the product of knowing, sensitive musicians who, although young, perform like seasoned veterans. The music, which Locke wrote mostly during the period of Puritan restrictions limiting musical performance to private activity, belies the austerity of the surrounding socio-political climate and appears quite colorful, lively, and optimistic, full of dancing rhythms and happy tunes. Particularly captivating are the Pavans–Locke seemed to have a real knack for melody and here is where he’s at his expressive best. He also proves to be the adventurous sort, especially in the faster movements where he seems to be experimenting with rhythmic gestures and harmonic changes that look forward to the oncoming Baroque style while still retaining polyphonic devices characteristic of the earlier era. This transition also is reflected in the pairing of instruments–a violin and gamba.
And the pairing works very well–the more steely, penetrating sound of the violin and the reedy, buzzing warmth of the gamba, all bound together in these performances by the mellow tones of a chamber organ. Although violinist Timothy Haig is thoroughly competent technically and plays with personality and lots of spirit, his articulation isn’t always as clean (he tends to skim over notes in quick runs) nor his phrasing as polished as some other more prominent baroque violinists–Giuliano Carmignola (Sony) or Andrew Manze (Harmonia Mundi), for instance. Nevertheless, these are small quibbles about what overall is an excellent and entertaining debut disc, vividly recorded in the ideal acoustics of Dorian’s home venue, the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Troy, NY. (For more Locke consort music, type Q3515 in Search Reviews.)
