The lute, or testudo as Praetorius subtitles it in reference to its tortoise-shaped back, was one of the most popular of the “perfect” instruments—instruments which could play all of the parts of a composition, not just one line.
Similarly one may ask, how many strings does a Renaissance lute have?
In the 16th century, the instrument started with 6 pairs of strings. By 1600, it had 8 or 9 pairs of strings. By the early 17th century, it had as many as 14 pairs of strings.”
Also know, what is lute in medieval period? The lute was pre-eminent in a family of plucked-string instruments which included the mandoline-like citole and the gittern (q.v.), as well as the long-necked Saracen or Moorish guitar.
Besides, what kind of music is lute?
The term lute song is given to a music style from the late 16th century to early 17th century, late Renaissance to early Baroque, that was predominantly in England and France. Lute songs were generally in strophic form or verse repeating with a homophonic texture.
What period is lute?
In Europe, lute refers to a plucked stringed musical instrument popular in the 16th and 17th centuries. The lute that was prominent in European popular art and music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods originated as the Arab ʿūd.
When was lute invented?
The discovery of an apparent lute on an Akkadian seal, now in the British Museum, may have pushed the known existence of the plucked lute back to c. 3100 BC. The lute’s existence in art was more plain between 2330–2000 BC (the 2nd Uruk period), when the art had sufficient detail to show the instrument clearly.
Who invented the lute?
In the first decades of the eighteenth century, lute music was revolutionized in Germany by lute player and composer Silvius Leopold Weiss. His musical ideas made it necessary to extend the number of strings, giving birth to the thirteen-course lute.
Who played the lute in medieval times?
One of the most famous lute players from the medieval period was John Dowland. He was an Englishman who played for the King of Denmark until James the 1st allowed him to join his court as a royal lutenist shortly before John died.
Why is the lute important Renaissance?
In the Renaissance era, the lute was the most popular instrument in the Western world. It became the symbol of the magic and power of music. The lute was the instrument of kings and queens, playing the sublime music of great composers. The lute was heard in the theatre in the incidental music of Shakespeare’s plays.
Why is the lute important?
The lute is used in a great variety of instrumental music from the Medieval to the late Baroque eras and was the most important instrument for secular music in the Renaissance. During the Baroque music era, the lute was used as one of the instruments which played the basso continuo accompaniment parts.