
L'Acheron Gibbons. This opens with a fantasia which takes 10 minutes. In the booklet they are explicit about their conception of the music
The Fantasy XXXIX for six viols is truly monumental, first of all because of its exceptional length. Three sombre homorhythmic bars in the spirit of a pavane set the scene for all that will happen. Thee entire work is in fact one single movement, without any change of mood or metre. It is an implacable flow of sound that a strict rhythmic pulse imbues with an almost hypnotic effect; this is interrupted only once by an unexpected modulation, after which all is as before. e insistent pulse of the music resumes until it is exhausted.
No one else plays it in such a linear way as far as I can see. I think that other performers vary the tempo and sound from one section to the next, producing something as dramatic as a Frescobaldi Toccata. But here we have something very old sounding, more like a ricercar by Willaert. I think both Rose Consort and Corncordia have recorded it - about three times faster than L'Archeron. But in truth, I can't be sure 100% they're playing the same music!
The sound of L'Acheron is totally distinctive, at first I thought there was something wrong with the recording but no. They have a new set of viols, they're very proud of it, they discuss it extensively, they think their balance is the best, the most informed.
This is promising to be a controversial and stimulating new release.