Evidence-based reconstruction of a Spanish Renaissance vihuela de arco and its “Andalusian” playing technique.

Abstract

In addition to the wonderful frescoes with music-making angels from 1476, which were rediscovered only in 2004, in the Cathedral of Valencia also can be found other representations of string instruments. Of particular note is a wooden sculpture of an angel playing vihuela de arco (Yáñez de la Almedina, ca. 1514). The investigation of this three-dimensionally presented vihuela de arco in connection with other iconographic sources, the extensive knowledge gained in a research projects at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (SCB) on the internal construction of early string instruments (www.rimab.ch) enabled the evidence-based reconstruction of a Spanish vihuela de arco. Music ethnological studies on traditional andalusi-music in Morocco and there upright playing technique of Rabab, Violin and Viola, which corresponds to the iconography of the vihuela de arco, where important sources for the development of the playing technique. (This lecture contains also a practical demonstration of the reconstructed vihuela de arco.)