Robert de Visée Suite No.8 in G major

[Steve Walter]

In Robert de Visée's Livre de Guitare published in 1682, Suite No. 8 is prefaced by a scordatura or retuning of the strings. Can anyone inform me which strings need to be retuned and to what pitch? Also, is it possible to play the suite without having to retune?

Steve 

[Monica Hall]

I believe it poses a few practical problems. If you follow the original instructions starting with the third course tuned to the usual g  the tuning is B  d  g  d'  g'. This involves tuning the first and second courses up a minor third and the fifth course up a second. Not easy unless you restring I think. There are similar problems if you start with the first course tuned to e'

You obviously can't play the music from the tablature unless you retune. You would have to transcribe the music into staff notation.   

Robert Strizich edition does include staff notation version of it.

[Steve Walter]

Thanks very much for your very informative reply, Monica. From a practical point of view in a performance, I should think it would be necessary to have another baroque guitar with the appropriate strings retuned.

I will be transcribing the music into staff notation anyway as I would like to make an arrangement for recorder, baroque cello and guitar.