The chitarra atiorbata and guitare theorbée
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Giovanni Battista Granata’s fourth book of music for 5-course guitar “Soave concenti di sonata musicali” (Bologna, 1659) includes five pieces for the chitarra atiorbata (p.97-114) and the manuscript “Pieces de Guitarre de differendes Autheures recueillis par Henry François de Gallot” (GB:Ob Ms.Mus.Sch.C94 – ca.
1660-70), twelve pieces for the guitare theorbée(f.100v-101v). In both sources the instrument in question apparently has five stopped courseson the fingerboard and seven open bass strings or diapasons. The stopped courses of Granata’s instrument are tuned to the standard intervals for the baroque guitar but those of Gallot’s instrument are tuned to a major or minor common chord (nominally C major/minor. The examples here assume C major). The open basses in Granata’s music are represented in the standard way for Italian theorbo music –
the chitarra atiorbata and guitare theorbee