Re reading what I wrote this morning, in a hurry and struggling with a
recalcitrant mail programme, I see that the message was perhaps not entirely
clear. Again, in short, I wonder if Corbetta would have known what was in
Carré's 1671 book, before he had his own printed. And if he could have read
Carré's remark about adding a low D to the fourth course.
It is often supposed that Corbetta was the first to give this advice, but
there seems to be no conclusive evidence for that.
If they knew each other personally, Corbetta would have noticed that Carré
used 'French' tuning. It is conceivable that others in Paris, where
'professor' Carré seems to have been working, were starting to change from
re-entrant to 'French' tuning. Corbetta himself had been living in England
since c 1660, and apparently he had little esteem for his French colleagues.
He could have given this advice because he thought it impossible to bring
out his compositions even remotely tolerable on a guitar with re-entrant
stringing. Perhaps he noticed that commercially the new 'French' tuning was
the best horse to bet on, which may be why he joined Carré's gang. At least
in words. I consider it possible that he himself kept to bourdon tuning.
I'm not saying that this is what happened. It's a theory. Like it is a
theory to suppose that 'French' tuning was 'Corbetta's new tuning', and that
every one was copying what he did. Only my theory gives a better answer to
how his continuo instructions would work in practice, with regard to bass
position. In my article in The Lute 47 I have argued that most likely
Corbetta has used bourdon tuning for his first book (1639). The idea that he
would have dropped one (or even two) bourdons, for no obvious reason, has
never convinced me. And the idea that thin octave strings would minimize the
inconveniences (with regard to the execution of ornaments) is not of any
help. There are many ornaments on the fourth and fifth courses in the works
of every composer who used bourdons. For example Foscarini, Bartolotti,
Guerau, or in the works for theorboed guitar by Granata.
One last point, the dedication to Madame la Princesse Palatine could have
been added at any moment. Carré may not have been in the position at all to
dedicate his book to her when she was living in Heidelberg.
Lex
Dear list (second try)
Monica's discussion of Corbetta's Italian preface has drawn my
attention to
the Italian word 'anche', which she has left out.
I would translate: 'Take care to put a thin octave string [i.e.
bourdon] on
the second string [i.e. fourth course] which is D sol re, because the
two in
unison do not make the harmony which ALSO my sonatas require.'
(Averti di mettere una piciol ottava alla seconda corda que e D sol re
perche li dui unissoni non fanno armonia, come _anche_ le mie sonate
lo
ricercano.)
I would like to speculate on what Corbetta could have meant with this.
It seems possible that he is referring to the music of other composers,
for which an octave D is required. It gives the impression that he is
referring to a similar advice, given somewhere else, of which he
supposes that the reader could be familiar with. We should keep in mind
that
much of what he writes in his preface is directed to a certain circle
of
readers, as he speaks of the 'Professori here in Paris.'
Could this other book be Carre's 'Livre de Guitarre' from 1671?
As Monica has pointed out in het preface to the facsimile edition of
this book, the privilege for printing, the "Extrait Du Privilege Du
Roy", is
dated 18th February 1671. It is not known when it was actually printed,
but Monica argues that this could have been after November 1671, when
the
marriage of the dedicatee of the book, Princess Elizabeth Charlotte,
and
Louis XIV's younger brother, Philippe, Duc d'Orleans, took place.
From that moment on Elizabeth Charlotte would have had the title
'Madame', and, significantly, the dedication on the title page of
Carre's book is
to 'Son Altesse Serenissime _Madame_ La Princesse Palatine.'
We should, however, consider that at the time that the privilege was
given (18 February 1671) she was Princesse Palatine but not yet
'Madame'.
This demonstrates that privileges were given for hand written
documents, which were perhaps not exactly identical with the later
prints.
Besides, the process of engraving and printing was very time-consuming
and it will
have taken place in the months after February, and details could be
changed
during that period. And the printing could of course have been done
before the wedding.
Corbetta's privilege to publish La Guitarre royalle (1671) was dated
21st
September, 1670 (so, earlier than Carre's) but it was not printed until
October 1671.
As Monica has observed, there may have been animosity between the two
men, and perhaps indeed over plagiarism. The title page says: 'Livre de
guitarre contenant plusieurs pieces composees et mise au jour par le
Sieur de la
Grange.'
But how could Corbetta accuse Carre of plagiarism, had he not known
the actual contents of this book? It is in the Livre de guitarre where
we find Carre's advice 'fault mettre a la guitare une octave au
quatriesme.'
It appears from his Italian preface that Corbetta considered himself as
superior to all guitarists from Paris, saying: 'Molti professori di
chitarra, in particolare qui in Parigi, n'hanno tenuto il secondo loco
dopo di me, confessato da loro medesimi.' (many guitar teachers,
especially here in Paris, do not even deserve the second spot after me,
as they themselves
confessed)
In her new article Monica writes: 'If Corbetta always used octave
stringing
on both the fourth and fifth courses himself, and thought that this was
the arrangement most suitable for his music there is no reason why he
should not have said so. People who acquired copies of his book
presumably
would have wanted to play the music in the way he thought best,
whatever method of
stringing they may have used previously. Adding a bourdon to the fifth
course is no more difficult than adding one to the fourth-provided that
suitable strings are available.'
To begin with the last subject, we can conclude that bourdon strings
were at that time considered suitable for basso continuo, so why not
for solo repertoire.
Even if Corbetta is very condescending about most other players, he
must have realized that they were the potential customers for his book.
Adding an octave to the fifth course is not difficult, but there could
have been other reasons for reluctance. Guitarists do not always act
completely rational.
As I have argued in my article in The Lute 47, Corbetta's reference to
the octave D could have been a compromise to those who were used to
re-entrant tuning.
Lex
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