Summary
Nicolas Vallet (also Valet;[1] c. 1583 – c. 1642) was a French lutenist and composer who emigrated to the Dutch Republic.
Vallet, a Huguenot, was born at Corbeny, Aisne, but fled around 1613 from France to the Netherlands for unknown reasons. In Amsterdam he worked as a self-supporting musician, lute teacher, and as the owner of a dance school.
His primary work, Le Secret des Muses, contains compositions and instruction for the 10-course Renaissance lute. It was published in two parts in 1615 and 1616. It was among the last compositions to appear for this instrument, before it was supplanted by the Baroque lute.
He also wrote a Psalms of David (in 1615) and Regia Pietas (in 1622).
According to Frederick Neumann,[2] Vallet may have been among the first to introduce ornaments to the lute tablature.
References edit
- ^ Tollefsen, Randall H. & Grijp, Louis Peter (2001). "Vallet, Nicolas". In Sadie, Stanley & Tyrrell, John (eds.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5.
- ^ Neumann, Frederick (1983). Ornamentation in baroque and post baroque music: With Special Emphasis on J. S. Bach at Google Books. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. p. 66. ISBN 0-691-02707-2.
- Bailes, Anne (1984). Nicolas Vallet (1583-1642): Pieces for 4 Lutes. Lübeck; Münich: Tree Edition. OCLC 11938111.
- Vallet, Nicolas; Souris, A.; Rollin, M. (1970). Le Secret des Muses. Paris: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. OCLC 255665595.
- O'Dette, Paul (2003). Booklet to CD of Secret des Muses. Harmonia Mundi France.