Giacomo Fiore has an article of interest in Classical Guitar Magazine headlined: In the 17th Century, Francesco Corbetta’s Music Enthralled Monarchs and Commoners Alike. Here’s a taste:
…From France’s Louis XIV to Charles II of England, a veritable who’s who of monarchs succumbed to the exotic appeal and addictive simplicity of the five-course baroque guitar—much to the chagrin of several contemporary commentators, who considered the lute the only suitable instrument for a proper gentleman. One traveling musician was at the center of this musical and social happening: the Italian Francesco Corbetta, born in Pavia, near Milan, around 1615. Building upon the work of previous composers, such as Giovanni Paolo Foscarini (who published five popular guitar books between 1629 and 1649), Corbetta furthered the hybridization of the two prevalent compositional styles, the battuto (strumming) and the pizzicato (plucking), resulting in novel and mesmerizing textures that could reward novices and virtuosos alike. – Read the full article via Classical Guitar Magazine
