Luis de Milán
A vihuelist and composer of the Spanish Renaissance, active at the court of Valencia, author of “El Maestro” (1536), the first printed book of music for the vihuela.
Luis de Milán lived in the 16th century (born around 1500, died after 1560) and moved in the refined circle of the Duke of Calabria’s court in Valencia. Little is known for certain about his life: he is known above all through his books.
In 1536 he published El Maestro, a collection for the vihuela, the Spanish forerunner of the guitar with six courses, tuned like a lute. It is the oldest printed book for the instrument. It is designed as a method: the pieces progress from easy to difficult, with tempo indications — a rarity at the time.
The book contains fantasias, pavanes, tientos and accompanied songs (villancicos, romances, sonnets). The six pavanes, simple and luminous, are today among the Renaissance pieces guitarists play most.
Players learn modal writing, flexible phrases and the alternation of chordal passages with quick improvisatory runs (the “redobles”).
Guitar sheet music (1)
- Pavan 2 · level 4