laute

Laute is the German term for the lute, a plucked string instrument with a rounded back and a pear-shaped body. The instrument is part of the lute family and has a neck with tied frets and a headstock with tuners; strings run over a saddle and are plucked with the fingers or with a plectrum. Renaissance lutes commonly had seven or more courses of strings, while Baroque lutes typically had six courses. The instrument is valued for its warm, singing tone and its capacity to sustain polyphonic writing, making it suitable for both solo repertoire and accompaniment.

Historically, the lute spread across Europe from the Middle Ages into the Renaissance and Baroque periods, where it played a central role in courtly and sacred music. It influenced the development of later plucked instruments, including some guitar family traditions, and was the focus of extensive repertoire by composers in various regions. With changing musical tastes in the 18th century, its prominence declined, but it retained a dedicated tradition among scholars and performers.

In the modern era, interest in early music has revived the lute. Contemporary lutenists perform Renaissance and Baroque works on period instruments using gut strings and period-appropriate tunings, and the instrument continues to appear in historical ensembles and scholarly editions. The German term Laute remains in use to denote the instrument in German-language contexts.