Miguel de Fuenllana (c.1500-1579)
What we know about Miguel de Fuenllana’s life is pieced together through contracts, legal documents, and the preface to his book, Libro de música para vihuela intitulado Orphenica Lyra.
Fuenllana was blind from birth. He served in the court of Kind Philip II of Spain, and dedicated Orphenica Lyra to him. Fuenllana’s book contains 160 works for six-course vihuela and several others for five-course vihuela and four-course guitar. Only about a third of the works are original, including 51 fantasias. Like his contemporaries, Fuenllana included intabulations of the popular songs and motets of the time.
Orphenica Lyra contains a very complete explanation of technique and how to play the vihuela. In fact, Fuenllana was one of the first to recommend using i m alternation for scalar passages.
Free Miguel de Fuenllana Sheet Music
- Werner Icking Music Archive – only one piece.
Miguel de Fuenllana Sheet Music for Sale
- The Renaissance Guitar – Edited by Noad. Only one Fuenllana piece in here.
- Guitar Music 16th Century – Several Fuenllana pieces in this book. Contents are here.
- The Renaissance Vihuela & Guitar Music
Notable Concert Works by Fuenllana
None of Funellana’s works have really made it into the concert repertoire today. But here’s a vihuela+voice piece by Fuenllana.
Renaissance Vihuela Composers
- Luis Milan
- Luis de Narvaez
- Alonso Mudarra
- Enriquez de Valderrabano
- Diego Pisador
- Miguel de Fuenllana
- Esteban Daza