Fantasy or reality? the vihuela in the obras of cabezón

Abstract

This article examines the place of the vihuela within Cabezón's Obras para tecla, arpa y vihuela. It examines the issue, firstly, in terms of musical style, the adaptability of Cabezón's notation, and the extent of the modifi cations needed to adapt the music satisfactorily for a plucked instrument. Secondly, it examines the circumstances surrounding the publication of the Obras and the infl uence on its notation, style and contents that were derived from de Libro de cifra nueva of Venegas de Henestrosa. The study demonstrates that only a small proportion of Cabezón's music is easily transferable to the vihuela, and the evidence tends towards the conclusion that the vihuela was of little int..