Renaissance Instruments and Music: A Historical Journey

Renaissance Instruments: A Detailed Look

The instruments described are as follows:

Wind Instruments

• Bugler: A curved wind instrument made of wood, with a cup-shaped mouthpiece.
• Crumhorn: A rod-shaped instrument consisting of a capsule timber in which is inserted a double reed. It produces a soft and sharp sound.
• Sackbut: A metal instrument that produces a rounded and less bright sound than current trombones.
• Trumpet: A blowing tool with metal coils, whose sounds are produced by the position of the lips.

String Instruments

• Viola: A bowed instrument with six and seven strings, of great importance in the Renaissance. Their sound was soft and veiled. It was held in front of the body and not under the chin. It had three sizes: soprano, alto, and tenor. Not to be confused with the violin.
• Lute: Known since the ninth century. Brought to Spain by the Arabs, it became very important in the Renaissance. It consisted of a handle and a pear-shaped soundbox. Its strings were double and it was called the Moorish guitar.
• Harpsichord: A keyboard instrument, very small, which stood on a table. By pressing the keys, a metal hammer directly struck the strings, producing a very soft sound.
• Harpsichord: There are several variants for its size, but because all the press definable keys, a pick pinches the rope and produces a really strong sound.

Forms of Instrumental Music

The most important forms of instrumental music include:

• Compositions derived from vocal music. Thus, the derivative canzona and chanson.
• Improvisational-based practice, for example, improvisation. The fantasy or toccata.
• Variations based on the technical changes discussed in the previous unit, such as the diferencia.
• Dance forms are based on dances such as the pavan and galliard.

Important Renaissance Dances

Within instrumental music, the most important dances are:

• Pavane: A Renaissance dance that comes from the city of Padua (pavo).
• Galliard: Of French origin, more lively and ternary, normally followed the previous one.
• Folia: An energetic dance, quickly paced, and Portuguese or Spanish, danced to the sound of castanets.
• Gavotte: A French circle dance.
• Sarabande: Spanish.

Instrumental Music in Spain

Spain at this time was distinguished by having several of the most important instrumental musicians of the Renaissance, especially vihuelistas and organists, so numerous that we talk about the Spanish vihuela school. Among them stands out especially Antonio de Cabezon, born in the province of Burgos. Despite being blind from birth, he composed a wealth of organ works. He was a great improviser and was well known in Europe because he traveled with King Philip II.

Spanish Instruments: The Vihuela

Within string music, Spain was ahead of its time with its music for guitar. This instrument of great tradition, as defined above, would succeed among the educated class and is popular mainly through how to express our secular music. Among the galaxy of musicians who compose for guitar, we can distinguish Luis de Milan, author of the book for this instrument called El Maestro, Luis de Narvaez with Delphin Music, and Alonso de Mudarra.