Enríquez de Valderrábano

Two contemporaries of Enríquez de Valderrábano, Fray Juan Bermudo and Suárez de Figueroa, both agreed that Valderrábano was one of the better music artists of his period. They compliment his invention and skill upon the Spanish-stringed device referred to as the vihuela. A few of Enríquez de Valderrábano’s music, actually, survives, as he published a big collection in 1547 of Libro de musica de vihuela intitulado Silva de sirenas (Reserve of music for the vihuela entitled Forest from the Sirens). The only biographical information in any way that describe his life result from the scant records in the preface to the quantity. Since he devoted the entire reserve to the Count number of Miranda, Fancisco de Zúñiga, it might be assumed that he proved helpful at least partially for the Count’s courtroom; the preface also promises he resided in Peñaranda del Duero. Nothing at all else of his schooling, his lifestyle, or his various other positions could be motivated. The music making it through in the seven books from the Forest from the Sirens, nevertheless, demonstrates the worthy of and skill of Enríquez de Valderrábano being a musician. He added to all main styles of vihuela music, including preparations of public, motets, and madrigals (plus some arrangements for just two vihuelas); improvisations upon dance music and surface bass statistics; and several highly first fantasias.