Photo: Tony Esparís

Vyola

This is a bowed instrument with four strings.


The sculpture has lost its neck, The one we made is hypothetic, designed following the proportions of the rest of the instrument.


It is a large instrument  It is held by the musician between the knees. There is a “spike” in the lower end in order to help the musician to hold it.


It is one of the best examples of the experimentation that started in the second half of the XIII century, when the makers return to instruments carved out from the solid, possibly trying to achieve new shapes and new acoustic possibilities.

After the Palace of Xelmírez (s. XIII), Santiago de Compostela

Made by Francisco Luengo

To know more about it read the following publications:

"El Pórtico de la Gloria, Música, Arte y Pensamiento", 1988 published by Cuadernos de Música en Compostela,

"Los Instrumentos del Pórtico de la Gloria", 1993 published by Fundación Barrié de la Maza,

“Instruments à cordes du Moyen Age”, 1999 CERIMM, Fondation Royaumont, published by Créaphis,

“Instrumentos de Corda Medievais”, Lugo 2000 published by Deputación Provincial de Lugo

Saltarello

Performer: F. Luengo

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