Music performed on two vihuelas (guitar-like instruments from Spain) was commonplace during the Renaissance. Combining contrasting instruments was not yet the fashion, so instruments of the same family with similar sonorities were often paired in polyphonic duets - one instrument providing the harmonic support, the other giving the melody and embellishment.

To recreate these 16th century performance practices and draw attention to an important part of Spanish Renaissance music, Delitiae Musicae, a duo specialising in vihuela performance, have created a programme of original vihuela duets and their own arrangements of solo music.

In line with Renaissance performance practices, improvisation using ostinati is featured in many of the pieces, and a number of intabulations (arrangements) of sacred works are included. The programme features the major vihuela composers of the 16th century, along with Spain’s most important Renaissance composers, including Tomás Luis de Victoria, Enríquez de Valderrábano, Guillaume de Morlaye, Francisco Guerrero and Josquin des Prez.

The focus is on Spanish music or music that displays a Spanish influence, to, in the words of the performers, ‘evoke the sound and image of two courtesan vihuelists performing in a 16th century palace’.

Contents:
1. Guerrero Si tus penas no pruebo
2. Guerrero Niño Dios d’amor herido
3. Guerrero Adios mi amor
4. Guerrero Huyd, huyd, o çiegos amadores
5. Guerrero: Todos aman
6. Morlaye: Gaillarde
7. Mudarra: Romanesca
8. Morlaye: Conte Clare
9. Victoria: O Magnum Mysterium
10. Gombert: Assiste parata
11. Dalza: Tastar de corde (JS)
12. Dalza: Caldibi castigliano
13. Dalza: Calata ala spagnola (MM)
14. Dalza: Calata ala spagnola ditto terzetti
15. Josquin: Mille regretz
16. Narváez: Mille regretz (MM)
17. Morales: Et in Spiritum Sanctum
18. Lopez: Fantasia de Lopez (MM)
19. Mendoza: Diez diferencias de Folias
20. Anonymous: Tiento (JS)
21. Anonymous: Recercata (JS)
22. Anonymous: Folías en primer tono
23. Valderrábano: Música para discantar sobre un punto
24. Valderrábano: Sobre el tenor del conde claros
25. Anonymous: Diferencias de çaravanda

Delitiae Musicae:
- Jesus Sanchez (vihuela)
- Manuel Minguillon Nieto (vihuela)