Volte by Jean Babtiste Besard (1567-1617) Although Jean Babtiste Besard was born to a family of some means and noble lineage, he led an extremely active life as a lutenist, composer, teacher, lawyer and medical doctor. His noteworthy treatise on playing the lute, entitled De modo, was included in both of these collections. John Dowland’s …
Canarie by Joachim van den Hove (1567-1620) Joachim van den Hove spent his life in the Netherlands, where he was held in high regard as a lutenist, composer and teacher. He published 3 collections of lute music: Florida, Praeludia testudinis and Delitiae Musicae, from which this piece is taken. The canarie was a type of …
Guardame las Vacas by Luys de Narvaez Luis de Narváez was a Spanish composer and vihuelist. Highly regarded during his lifetime, Narváez is known today for Los seys libros del delphín, a collection of polyphonic music for the vihuela which includes the earliest known variation sets. He is also notable for being the earliest composer …
Pavan 3 by Luys Milan (16th century) Luis de Milán (c. 1500 – c. 1561) was a Spanish Renaissance composer, vihuelist, and writer on music. He was the first composer in history to publish music for the vihuela de mano, an instrument employed primarily in the Iberian peninsula and some of the Italian states during …
Pavan 1 by Luys Milan (16th century) Luis de Milán (c. 1500 – c. 1561) was a Spanish Renaissance composer, vihuelist, and writer on music. He was the first composer in history to publish music for the vihuela de mano, an instrument employed primarily in the Iberian peninsula and some of the Italian states during …
Go From My Window by Anonymous (16th century) Variations on popular dances and ballads make up a large part of the English lute repertoire. In the case of this charming composition, the ballad tune “Go From My Window” is presented in measures 1-8, and is followed by four eight measure variations. With the 3rd (G) …
Toy 3 by Anonymous (16th century) One of hundreds of anonymous lute pieces of 16th century England, this piece is from the Jane Pickering Lute Book, a manuscript collection of a dedicated amateur. A toy is a simple piece for the lute or keyboard based either on dances such as a jig or alman, or …
Allemande by Anonymous (16th century) Though one of the most popular dances of the Baroque era (1600-1750), the allemande originated around the early or mid-16th century. The first known use of the title “allemande” was in 1521, but in Germany earlier examples of this type of dance appear as “Teutscertanz” or “Dantz”.
Se Io m’accorgo by Anonymous (16th century) The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 13th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe.
La Volta by Anonymous (16th century) The volta is an anglicised name for a Renaissance dance for couples from the later Renaissance. This dance was associated with the galliard and done to the same kind of music. Its main figure consisted of a turn and lift in a sort of closed position, which could be …
