The Lute in the Dutch Golden Age
Musical Culture in the Netherlands ca. 1580-1670
Jan W.J. Burgers
Susan Pond
Helene Reid
9789089645524
296 pages
Amsterdam University Press
Overview
The lute’s cultural impact throughout the Dutch Golden Age can be compared to that of the piano in the 19th century. It was the universal instrument for solo music-making, as well as in ensembles and to accompany singers, mainly associated with the social elite - the aristocracy and the prosperous burghers. This richly illustrated book is the first to showcase famous and obscure lutenists, professional musicians and amateurs, the lute music in books and manuscripts, the lute makers and the international lute trade, while also exploring the place of the instrument in the Dutch literature and art of the period.
Author Bio
Jan W.J. Burgers is senior researcher at the Huygens Institute for the History of the Netherlands in The Hague and professor of source studies at the University of Amsterdam.
