Dictionary:
re·bec re·beck (rē'bĕk') 
|
[French, from Old French, alteration (influenced by bec, beak, from its shape) of rebebe, from Old Provençal rebeb, from Arabic rabāb, from rabba, to be master, control.]
| Music Encyclopedia: Rebec |
A bowed stringed instrument of 10th-century origin, used in European art music chiefly during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. There were two basic forms, pear-shaped or straight and narrow. The pegbox was sometimes right-angled and later became sickle-shaped. The strings varied from one to five or more, three being typical; it was usually tuned in 5ths (a 1545 authority gives different sizes, tuned g-d′-a′, c-g-d′; and F-G-d-a). It could be played on the lap, as in southern Europe, or on the shoulder, as in the north. It was commonly played in processions, dances and at court, notably that of Henry VIII; later it was used in consorts.
| Columbia Encyclopedia: rebec |
| Wikipedia: Rebec |
 The rebec in "Virgin among Virgins" (1509), by Gerard David. |
|
| String instrument | |
|---|---|
| Classification | |
| Hornbostel-Sachs classification | 321.21-71 (Bowl lyre sounded by a bow) |
| Developed | Middle Ages |
| Related instruments | |
The rebec (sometimes rebeck, and originally various other spellings) is a bowed string musical instrument. In its most common form, it has narrowboat shaped body, three strings and is played on the arm or under the chin, like a violin.
Contents |
The rebec dates back to the Middle Ages and was particularly popular in the 15th and 16th centuries. The instrument is European and was derived from the Arabic bowed instrument rebab [1] and the Byzantine lyra[2]. The rebec was first referred to by name around the beginning of the 14th century, although instruments very similar to it had been played since around the 9th century and refered with the term "lyra" [3].
A singular distinguishing feature of the rebec is that the bowl (or body) of the instrument is carved from a solid piece of wood. This distinguishes it from the later period veilles and gambas known in the renaissance.
The number of strings on the rebec varies from one to five, although three is the most common number. The strings are often tuned in fifths, although this tuning is by no means universal. The instrument was originally in the treble range, like the violin, but later larger versions were developed, such that by the 16th century composers were able to write pieces for consorts of rebecs, just as they did for consorts of viols.
In time, the viol came to replace the rebec, and the instrument was little used beyond the renaissance period. The instrument did remain in use by dance masters until the 18th century, however, often being used for the same purpose as the kit, a small pocket-sized violin. The rebec also continued to be used in folk music, especially in eastern Europe and Spain. Andalusi nubah, a genre of music from North Africa, often includes the rebec.
Hugh Rebeck is a minor character in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, one of the musicians called by Peter in an oft-cut scene. Presumably, he is named for the instrument that he plays.
A scene in Don Quixote has a goatherd play a rebeck and sing a song of love in order to entertain Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.
A rebec was featured prominently in one of Ellis Peters's (12th century) Brother Cadfael stories: Liliwin, the title character of The Sanctuary Sparrow, earned his living by playing that instrument. His rebec was damaged by a mob that accused him of murder, but it was repaired by one of the monks and returned to him at the end of the story.
'Rebec' is also a common name used to abbreviate the name Rebecca, it is famously used as the nickname for the female suffrage pioneer of New Zealand, Rebecca Lea.
"Rebec". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
 | rubible |
| ribible |
| ribibe |
Copyrights:
 |
 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Music Encyclopedia. The Concise Grove Dictionary of Music. Copyright © 1994 by Oxford University Press, Inc.. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/. Read more |
 |
| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Rebec". Read more |
Mentioned in
