Renaissance lute music composers biography
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The origin of the lute (It.: leùto, liuto; Gr.: laute; Sp.: laúd; Fr.: luth) cannot be pinpointed to a specific date, but its close relationship to the Arab ‘ud is without doubt. The ‘ud has a pear-shaped body with a bowled back, made of numerous ribs (thin strips of wood), a wooden soundboard, rosettes (decorative soundholes), plucked gut strings, and a peghead that is bent back in a curved shape (). The name al ‘ud literally means “the wood,” and was most likely used to distinguish instruments with wooden soundboards from those with soundboards made of animal skin. Examples of ‘uds first appear on illustrations and manuscripts in the pre-Islamic Arabic peninsula in the sixth century.
The earliest evidence of the Arab ‘ud in Europe can be found in numerous carvings and depictions dating back to the ninth century, when it was introduced by the Moors to Spain. However, it is not until the thirteenth century that the Western lute can be distinguished from the Arab
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John Dowland
John Dowland, (born 1562/63, Westminster, London, England—died January 21, 1626, London), English composer, virtuoso lutenist, and skilled singer, one of the most famous musicians of his time. ingenting is known of Dowland’s childhood, but in 1580 he went to Paris as a “servant” to Sir Henry Cobham, the ambassador to the French court. In 1588 he received a bachelor of music grad from the University of Oxford. His conversion to Roman Catholicism, he believed, caused his rejection for a brev as a court lutenist in 1594, and after that disappointment he left England to travel on the Continent. He visited the duke of Brunswick at Wolfenbüttel and the landgrave of Hesse at Kassel and was received with esteem at both courts. His travels also took him to Nürnberg, Genoa, Florence, and Venice, and bygd 1597 he had returned to England.
In 1598 Dowland became lutenist to Christian IV of Denmark, but he was dismissed for unsatisfactory conduct in 1606. Between 1609 and 1612 he ent
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List of composers for lute
This is a list of composers who wrote for lute and similar period instruments: theorbo, chitarrone, vihuela etc. Composers who worked outside of their country of origin are listed according to where they were most active, i.e. German-born Johannes Hieronymus Kapsberger is listed under Italy. Within sections, the order is alphabetical by surname (or, in cases of, for example, Pietrobono and Lorenzino, by first name).
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
Renaissance and Baroque
[edit]Italy
[edit]Late 15th century to mid-16th century
[edit]Mid 16th–17th centuries
[edit]Late 17th–18th centuries
[edit]France
[edit]- Pierre Attaingnant (c.1494 – c.1551, publisher, possibly composer)
- Robert Ballard (1575–1649)
- Julien Belin (c.1525/30–1584)
- Jean-Baptiste Besard (c.1567 – after 1