Beloved author Norah Lofts brings to life the romance and adventure of the crusading king Richard the Lionhearted through the eyes of his most humble and trusted companion -- his lute player. One of the most renowned figures in medieval history, Richard the Lionhearted, inspired by a vision of the Holy Land, led his knights onto the battlefields of the Third Crusade. During the years of fighting and intrigue, Richard's life was intertwined with the lives of two strong, vibrant, and drastically different women who loved him -- Berengaria, princess of Navarre, and his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine. While his marriage to Berengaria was ill-fated, Eleanor loved her son with a frantic, possessive pride. But it is Blondel, the king's lute player, who here steps forward from the shadows to tell this tale of romance, war, and betrayal. In her trademark style, Norah Lofts paints a complex and human portrait of a legendary king.

This is a story of love between an adventure-loving king and his queen who travels in disguise as a lute player to save the king after he is imprisoned during one of his journeys. Themes: devotion, intelligence.

Published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028. The catalog (with a lengthy essay and scholarly paraphernalia) for an exhibition of a newly identified work by Caravaggio and other paintings by the artist or related to the musical theme. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This book is aimed at beginner lute and guitar players interested in playing Renaissance lute music on either instrument. Lute and guitar tablature are included, along with notes on technique, biographies of lute composers from the 16th century, and general advice on buying, stringing and tuning a lute. The book starts with single-line melodies, before progressing to two-part and full repertoire pieces. Selections include works by great Renaissance composers such as John Dowland, Francesco da Milano, Alonso Mudarra, Francesco Spinacino and others, with music from England, Scotland, Italy, France and Germany. A useful chord chart is also included. Every piece in the book has been recorded for download by Rob MacKillop--in itself, an album worth owning. Includes access to online audio.

Nothing can quite compare to the satisfaction, pleasure and joy of learning and playing the finest pieces of classical music and this terrific volume gives you the opportunity to do exactly that! Inside there are more than 60 easy pieces and Keyboard miniatures by master composers, selected and edited by Dennis Agay. All the pieces are printed in their original form though have had sensible expression marks and fingerings added. There is a wonderful range and diversity to these pieces with works by the likes of Bach, Haydn, Mozart and also lesser-known composers, set for Piano solo.

"Spring focuses on the lute in Britain, but also includes two chapters devoted to continental developments: one on the transition from medieval to renaissance, the other on renaissance to baroque, and the lute in Britain is never treated in isolation. Six chapters cover all aspects of the lute's history and its music in England from 1285 to well into the eighteenth century, whilst other chapters cover the instrument's early history, the lute in consort, lute song accompaniment, the theorbo, and the lute in Scotland."--Jacket.

This beautiful book presents the work of these two painters, exploring the artistic development of each, comparing their achievements and showing how both were influenced by their times and the milieus in which they worked.

The lute played a central role in the rich musical culture of the seventeenth-century ‘Golden Age’ of the Dutch Republic. Like the piano in the nineteenth century, the lute was not just a popular instrument for solo music making, but was also used widely in ensembles and to accompany singers. Though mainly an instrument of the social elite and the aristocracy, it was also played by the numerous and prosperous burgher class. The first part of the book deals with psalm settings for the lute; the way professional lutenists coped with the harsh rules of the free market; Leiden as a veritable international lute centre; and the different types of lutes that can be reconstructed on the basis of the Dutch paintings of the period. The second part of the book is dedicated to Constantijn Huygens (1596–1687), the well-known poet and statesman, and avid player of, and composer for, the lute. The third and final section deals with Dutch sources of lute music, printed as well as those in manuscript. Taken together, this volume provides a broad and many-layered overview of the lute in the seventeenth century. Collectively, the articles will further the reader’s understanding of the lute in its social and cultural context, not only in the Netherlands, but also on the wider European canvas.

E. G. Baron's Study of the Lute (Untersuchung des Instruments der Lauten) published in 1727, is one of the most comprehensive and important lute treatises in the 300 year history of the instrument. It contains much information that is unique to it, and deals with subjects that can be found in no other source. It is a mine of information concerning the history of the instrument, lute makers, composers, players, technique and performance practices of the day. At last, this work has been translated into delightful English by Douglas A. Smith, retaining much of the flamboyant flavor of the original. A long preface gives the background of the work, its era, and the life of Baron. The present edition improves the value of the original, since explanatory footnotes, appendices, and an index have been added. Also, the voluminous Latin and Greek passages have been translated. The book is both delightful and informative.

This is a story of love between an adventure-loving king and his queen who travels in disguise as a lute player to save the king after he is imprisoned during one of his journeys. Themes: devotion, intelligence.