Corbetta: La Guitarre Royalle

Francesco Corbetta (1615-1681) was an Italian guitar player, teacher and composer. First attached to the Mantua court of the Gonzaga family, he later traveled Europe as one of the first guitar virtuosos, finding an admiring welcome at the courts of Madrid and Hannover, finally settling at the court of Louis XIV. In later years he was also active as court musician to Charles II of England, dividing his last 20 years between Paris and London. His early works were mostly strummed dance music, later he developed his style with complex harmonies and polyphony in the French taste. Corbetta's magnum opus is titled La Guitarre Royalle, consisting of two books written for his two patrons (Louis XIV and Charles II). The rhythmic pattern of the court dances are embellished with French style ornamentations, the result being a highly sophisticated, folk music based instrumentation. Dutch guitarist Izhar Elias is one of today's most sought-after specialists in Early Music, chamber music and contemporary music. He recorded several remarkable CD's for Brilliant Classics, to great international acclaim. He wrote the informative liner himself, in English and German.