Luis de Milán

Luis de Milán ( * 1500, † 1561 ), also known as Lluís del Milà, Lluís Milà, Luys Milán, Luis Milán Luys de Milán or, a Catalan Renaissance composer, vihuelist ( the guitar like instrument ) and author was music theory.

Life

Milán the first composer in history to music for the vihuela de mano was published, which was mainly distributed in the Iberian Peninsula and in some Italian States in the 15th and 16th century. He was also one of the first musicians to textual tempo indications for its music stated.

Presumably he lived all his life in Valencia. It seems that he was busy until about 1538 at the ducal court. In 1535 he published his first book about a musical parlor game entitled El juego de mandar. The next year he published Libro de música de vihuela de mano intitulado El maestro his most important book, John III. dedicated of Portugal. Let this dedication and the existence of six villancicos in Portuguese suspect Milán traveled to this country and spent some time there. A version of this story suggested Milan trip to Portugal as a result of a duel, during which he. Johann III was knighted.

' El maestro ' is the first collection of vihuela music history and was probably intended for students of the vihuela. The music is enhanced from simple to large degree of difficulty, so that a beginner could develop the vihuela by piece to piece. It contains more than forty fantasias, six Pavanen, twelve villancicos, and Sonetos ( forms of Italian Sonnetts ) and other pieces. Some pieces are for solo vihuela, and another for singing, which is accompanied by the vihuela. Many pieces are of considerable virtuosity, although not all of the ornamentation is detailed. The style of the compositions varies from simple homophonic to polyphonic and virtuoso passages.

In addition to unusual chromaticism occur strange double alterations that were very unusual for European music of the period. It appears that the book was created with great care. There are different versions for players who want to avoid virtuosic parts, sections of pieces are marked as optional and pieces with tempo information provided (eg ni muy apriessa ni muy a espacio sino con un compás bien Mesurado: " neither too fast nor too slow, but with moderate clock "). Half of the villancicos in Castilian Spanish, the other in Portuguese.

His last publication, El Cortesano ( 1561) on the model of Il Courtier by Baldassare Castiglione, gives a vivid and entertaining picture of life at the ducal court of Valencia. Although it contains no music, it is a valuable report of a professional musician of his time.

The music of Luis Milán is popular with today's classical guitarists because they can be easily edited for her instrument.