Known from biblical times, the lute travelled to the west from China and the Middle East via the crusades and trade routes. By the Middle Ages, Europeans had claimed the lute as their own and used it in ensemble with instruments and voices.
In the sixteenth century, the plectrum was abandoned for a finger style which allowed for more complex polyphony to be realised. This was the birth of the renaissance lute which, in various guises, remained the instrument of choice for the next 200 years.
In the sixteenth century, the plectrum was abandoned for a finger style which allowed for more complex polyphony to be realised. This was the birth of the renaissance lute which, in various guises, remained the instrument of choice for the next 200 years.
