Enríquez de Valderrábano

Enríquez de Valderrábano (* about 1500 probably in Penaranda de Duero; † ca 1557, other spellings: Enrique and de Valderrávano ) was a Spanish composer and vihuelist.

Life

Little is known about Valderrábanos life. François -Joseph Fétis are in his biography Universal as the birthplace of " Peñacerrada " to newer sources mention Penaranda de Duero in the former Kingdom of León. About Valderrábanos of death is not known.

Works

Valderrábanos only remaining work is the Libro de música de vihuela intitulado Silva de Sirenas ( Silva de Sirenas short, in German as: book of music for vihuela titled Forest of the Sirens ). The work was published in 1547 in Valladolid and is dedicated to the residents in Penaranda de Duero Counts of Miranda del Castañar, Francisco de Zuniga.

It is divided into seven sections ( libros ), which are graded according to difficulty.

Silva de Sirenas consists of 3 pages with theoretical explanations and contains then

• 89 pieces for solo vihuela
• 66 pieces for vihuela and voice in Latin, Castilian and Italian and
• 16 Pieces for Two Vihuelas.

This Valderrábano published not only his own compositions, but also arranged pieces by other composers such as Josquin des Prés, Nicolas Gombert or Cristóbal de Morales.

Noteworthy are the duo pieces, because it is the only known tablatures for two Vihuelas. A voice is always printed upside down, so that the music from opposite sides of the table can be read.

The ascribed by François- Joseph Fétis and other work Tratado de cifra nueva para tecla, arpa y vihuela, canto llano, de organo y contrapunto ( Alcala de Henares, 1557) is not from Valderrábano, but by Luis Venegas de Henestrosa.