Lute

The lute is a plucked string instrument with a fretted neck and a deep round back. It evolved from an instrument originally developed in the Middle East, which was also the ancestor of the superficially similar oud. The words 'lute' and 'oud' are both derived from Arabic al‘ud, "the wood". The player of a lute is called a lutenist, and a maker of lutes (or guitars) is called a luthier.

The lute repertoire

Notable composers of lute music include

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Francesco Canova da Milano,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

John Dowland,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

John Johnson,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Denis Gaultier,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Johann Sebastian Bach,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sylvius Leopold Weiss,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Philip Rosseter,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thomas Campion,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Joseph Haydn,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Johannes Hieronymus Kapsberger,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Robert de Visée,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Alessandro Piccinini,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Karl Kohaut.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Many historical lute pieces were published, but many others are found only in manuscripts, perhaps belonging to the composer or perhaps belonging to some amateur lutenist who would copy in unpublished songs, or have a renowned guest indite a new composition while visiting. These lute books are generally known by name, such as Jane Pickeringes Lute Book, The Straloch Lute Book, The M.L. Lute Book, etc.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The modern repertoire is almost entirely drawn from historical publications and manuscripts, though a few modern compositions do exist. The historical corpus is vast, and much of it exists only in the original manuscripts and has never been published. Much material circulates among lutenists in facsimiles of the manuscripts or as photocopies of handwritten copies. Historical lute music is most commonly written in tablature, though sometimes in ordinary musical notation instead.

Related Topics:
Tablature - Ordinary musical notation

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The standard repertoire for classical guitar includes many transcriptions or arrangements of Renaissance lute music. These pieces are often transposed to a key that is more congenial for the guitar, due to the differnces in tuning between guitar and lute.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Much of Ottorino Respighi's orchestral Ancient Airs and Dances is based on a manuscript of Renaissance lute music once possesed by the musicologist Chilesotti, which is now lost.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Baroque Lute was developed around 1650. At first it had 11 courses of strings (in a tuning based on a d-minor triad), which were augmented to 13 or rarely even 14 around 1720.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Important composers for the Lute of the 18th century included Sylvius Leopold Weiss (a friend of J.S.Bach), Karl Kohaut, and Joachim Bernhard Hagen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After 1800, the Baroque Lute fell into neglect with a few works still being composed for it until its revival in the 20th century.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~