VIHUELA DE MANO

The vihuela de mano is the most representative instrument of the Spanish Renaissance because it played during the XVI century a similar role than the lute elsewhere in Europe. Descendant of the medieval “vihuela de péñola" (played with a plectrum or pen) marked the origin of a family of instruments with certain common characteristics such as the eight-shaped body and the flat head stock. It should consist of 3 to 7 double string courses.

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For the 3 or 4 courses they were called guitars, the 5 and 6 ones were called guitar or vihuela indistinctively and the 7 courses ones were called vihuelas. The Spanish vihuelists bequeathed an important collection of very high quality musical works for that instrument.
Above, engraving in the most famous work El libro de música de vihuela de mano intitulado El Maestro, by Luis de Milán, printed in Valencia in 1536, the first work for vihuela printed in Spain.

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CASTELLANO

VIHUELA DE MANO

I designed this instrument based on the iconography of the time, such as the illustration by Luys Milan in his book El Maestro (1536) and the original preserved vihuelas, such as the "Chambure", the vihuela of Quito and the vihuela/guitar by Belchior Días (1581).
It is constructed of ash, rosewood, pau ferro, cypress or walnut, with European spruce top. The fingerboard can be pearwood, boxwood, olive, pau ferro, sometimes framed with ebony. The rose is made of maple or pear and parchment. It is finished with organic oil varnish, or just with oil and wax.
This model is available in 3 sizes, depending on the tuning:
SL 650 mm: E-A-d-f#-b-e' / SL 580 mm: G-c-f-a-d'-g' / SL 500 mm: A-d-g-b-e'-a'

Price professional: €2,900.
Price intermediate: €2,200.
Price student: €1,500.

Calata a l’espagnola, de Joan Ambrosio Dalza (Milán, 2nd. half of XVth century– 1508). Producciones 451 © 2014 .

Robert Cases plays this dance with a vihuela de mano in A made by Asier de Benito. 
The calata is an italian dance from the early XVI century, which only 13 examples are known, enclosed in the "Intabolatura de lauto" (1508) by Joan Ambrosio Dalza, published by Ottaviano Petrucci's printing house. Its author is little known. Dalza offers 6 calatas in the italian style and 6 in the spanish one, which let feel the vihuela spanish influence in the XVI century. 
As the tablature does not include choreography, the style of dance cannot be defined. Compasses suggest, however, that Dalza followed the models of bassadanza for the calata.

Toda mi vida hos amé, villancico de Luys de Milán. 
Producciones 451 © 2014.

Elia Casanova, voice. Robert Cases, vihuela de mano in A.
Heartbreak theme by Luis de Milan (before 1500 - after 1561), also known as Lluís del Milà, Lluís Milà, Luys Milan, Luis Milan or Luys de Milan, great Valencian Renaissance composer and vihuelist.
He is known for being the first composer to publish vihuela music and one of the first to give instructions for marking the tempo in music. In his time he was considered a prototype of the Renaissance gentleman, cultured, noble, audacious, provocative; he was a clergyman, married and had children. Other works of his that are preserved are "El libro de motes de damas y cavalleros, intitulado El Juego de mandar" (1535) and "El Cortesano" (1561).

VIHUELA DE MANO BASED ON BERMUDO

This instrument is based on the illustration of Fray Juan Bermudo's Treatise on Instruments (1555).
The body is carved and hollowed out of a single piece of wood. Sometimes I cut the sides and neck from a single piece, then add the back. European spruce top.
This model is available in 2 sizes, depending on the tuning:
SL 580 mm: G-c-f-a-d'-g' / SL 500 mm: A-d-g-b-e'-a'

Price professional: €2,700.
Price intermediate: €2,000.
Price student: €1,500.

Robert Cases plays Pavana VI by Luys de Milán (1536).

VIHUELA / GUITAR IN THE CONVENT OF LA ENCARNACIÓN

Model based on the instrument preserved in the Convent of La Encarnación (Ávila). According to the study carried out by Bosser, Martínez and Romanillos in 2009, it would be a recycled vihuela neck in a primitive baroque guitar body.
The result of my interpretation is an instrument that can be tuned as a vihuela in E or as a baroque guitar, with a simple modification of the strings.
SL: 650 mm.
Tuning: E-A-d-f#-b-e'

Price professional: €2,900.
Price intermediate: €2,200.
Price student: €1,500.