Francesco Corbetta (1620-1681)
Autre chaconne en do majeur
Suite en la mineur
Allemande en ré majeur
Autre Air de Trompette en ré majeur
Follie en sol mineur
Passacaille en sol mineur
Suite en sol mineur
Chaconne en do majeur
Sarabande en do mineur
Passacaille en do mineur
Gigue en do mineur
Caprice de Chaconne en do majeur

Izhar Elias, guitare baroque

Le personnage lunaire photographié dans des vapeurs colorées qui orne la pochette du disque consacré à Francesco Corbetta témoigne d'une volonté du guitariste Izhar Elias de donner une « modern touch » à la figure du compositeur italien né à Pavie et mort à Paris, après avoir servi dans de nombreuses cours dont celle de Louis XIV. Le teasing aguicheur n'est pas vain car le guitariste néerlandais en véritable alchimiste se montre capable de transmuer les notes sur des portées arc en ciel en poudroiement de couleurs. Deux suites et quelques pièces éparses tirées de l'opus magnum de Corbetta « La guitarre royalle » illustrent la manière du compositeur, originale par sa technique de jeu. Position des doigts, placement des accords, style contrapuntique. Elias restitue magnifiquement la suavité des mélodies mais surtout le rythme des danses variées (Gigues, Courantes). Les Suites sont ainsi traitées avec élégance et acuité. Les Allemandes, Chaconnes, Sarabandes et Passacailles n'oublient pas elles, d'être embuées d'une languide mélancolie. (Jérôme Angouillant)

Francesco Corbetta: the JS Bach of the guitar? A bold claim, but one made with passion by the guitarist Izhar Elias in his own booklet essay for this ground-breaking new album. Born in the Italian city of Pavia around 1615, Corbetta worked as a musician in the court of Madrid but he made his career and lasting reputation in France. According to contemporary accounts, Corbetta’s playing epitomized the ornate Baroque guitar solo. The high range, frequent resolution of dissonance, virtuosic techniques, and coloristic effects, such as overlapping tones of campanelas or flashy repicco strumming, converged in his guitar music to make it the most brilliant if challenging of the era. On this album Elias has made his own selection from two of Corbetta’s published volumes which were written for King Charles II (1671) and King Louis XIV (1674) respectively. According to him, Corbetta’s music is rooted in the popular songs and dances of his day, making him more like a modern pop songwriter. Using the genres of chaconne and passacaglia, several of which are included here, he transformed the guitar into a polyphonic instrument and a genuinely soloistic one compared to its previous, humble role as an accompaniment to song and strings. There are also two substantial dance suites, in A minor and G minor. The Dutch-born guitarist Izhar Elias has made several significant contributions to the extensive library of guitar music on Brilliant Classics, including a Spanish Baroque album, ‘La Monarcha’ (BC94352), an exploration of Beethoven’s little-known writing for the instrument (BC94631); and perhaps most noteworthy, a first complete recording for substantial excerpts from Rossini’s late masterpiece Semiramide, arranged for solo guitar by Giuliani (BC93902). ‘You’ll rarely hear anyone work so hard,’ remarked the Classics Today reviewer. ‘The playing is magnificent – fluent, tonally as varied as possible, rhythmically true to Rossini.’