Corbetta, Francesco | Pièces pour deux guitares (1674)

Francesco Corbetta (c1615-1681) was an Italian guitar virtuoso, teacher and composer. He spent his early career in Italy. He seems to have worked as a teacher in Bologna where the guitarist and composer Giovanni Battista Granata was one of his pupils. He was then attached to the Court of Carlo II, Duke of Mantua in various capacities. He was however frequently granted leave of absence and travelled abroad to Spain probably between 1644-1647 where he amazed the Court in Madrid with his virtuosity.

Five collections of music for the five-course guitar survive today. His first book includes mostly strummed dance music, while his later books exhibit an increasing mastery over the combination of strummed and plucked textures referred to today as "mixed" style. Corbetta's two earliest books include compositions in the Italian tradition, but his three later publications are increasingly in the French style. These publications also included important information for continuo playing on the guitar. A substantial amount of music attributed to him also survives in manuscript.