Nicolas Vallet was a french lutenist born in Corbeny (Picardy), 1583. His father could have been Jean Vallet a lutenist himself known to settle in Meaux (Champagne). Nicolas Vallet was calvinist and emigrated in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) circa 1613 for unknown reason in a period when there was no quarrel between Protestants and Catholics in France. He opened there a dancing school for which he composed the first volume of "Secretum Musarum" (le Secret des Muses) in 1615 and the second volume in 1616. In 1620, he published a set a genevean psalms "Regia Pietas" dedicated to the King of England, James 1st. He lived next door with Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck in Amsterdam. He was nearly ruined by his publication costs but nonetheless he achieved to publish "Apollon soet lier" (La Lyre d'Appolon) for bass and treble in 1642 and "Mont Parnasse" for five and six instruments in 1643/44. After this date we ignore when he died and no other source ever mentioned him. This program couldn't be called "A Suite for four lutes" because it included dances and psalms. They were only a choice between the pieces of "Secretum Musarum". These pieces have been recorded on a CD in France (1996) by the french lutenists Eugène Férré, Jérôme Blum, Brian Feehan and Pascal Monteilhet. The fac simile score was published in France in "Corpus des luthistes français", édition du CNRS, Paris, 1970 transcription by André Souris. Some tabs of these pieces could be download for free on Richard Civiol's website "luthlibrairie"
Merci beaucoup ! Corbeny se trouve entre Reims et Laon. On y vénérait St Marcoul et les rois de France s'y arrêtaient pour toucher les écrouelles (scrofuleux) : " Le roi te touche, Dieu te guérisse !". Je connais ce village mais ignorais tout de ce luthiste ! Vallet est contemporain des frères Le Nain, qui peignirent de merveilleux tableaux paysans dans cette région du Sud de Laon. Bravo à ce magnifique quatuor, le luth et le théorbe étant mes instruments préférés !
Beautifully done. As a classical guitarist, I very much envy the sound of the lute. If only they were not so blasted difficult to tune. The Nicolas Valet pieces performed here are quite dance oriented. Did he, I wonder, write fantasias and ricecares of a more abstract character?
Oh my, those first few notes. I wasn't ready for the overwhelming sound of four lutes, where one would already have been beautiful
Delight and perfect interplay, elegance and harmony, congratulations.
Nothing like a lute quartet, lovely!
Nicolas Vallet was a french lutenist born in Corbeny (Picardy), 1583. His father could have been Jean Vallet a lutenist himself known to settle in Meaux (Champagne). Nicolas Vallet was calvinist and emigrated in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) circa 1613 for unknown reason in a period when there was no quarrel between Protestants and Catholics in France. He opened there a dancing school for which he composed the first volume of "Secretum Musarum" (le Secret des Muses) in 1615 and the second volume in 1616. In 1620, he published a set a genevean psalms "Regia Pietas" dedicated to the King of England, James 1st. He lived next door with Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck in Amsterdam. He was nearly ruined by his publication costs but nonetheless he achieved to publish "Apollon soet lier" (La Lyre d'Appolon) for bass and treble in 1642 and "Mont Parnasse" for five and six instruments in 1643/44. After this date we ignore when he died and no other source ever mentioned him.
This program couldn't be called "A Suite for four lutes" because it included dances and psalms. They were only a choice between the pieces of "Secretum Musarum".
These pieces have been recorded on a CD in France (1996) by the french lutenists Eugène Férré, Jérôme Blum, Brian Feehan and Pascal Monteilhet. The fac simile score was published in France in "Corpus des luthistes français", édition du CNRS, Paris, 1970 transcription by André Souris. Some tabs of these pieces could be download for free on Richard Civiol's website "luthlibrairie"
I think Nicolas's great great great Great GReat grand father is Leslie West from the rock band MOUNTAIN
Merci beaucoup ! Corbeny se trouve entre Reims et Laon. On y vénérait St Marcoul et les rois de France s'y arrêtaient pour toucher les écrouelles (scrofuleux) : " Le roi te touche, Dieu te guérisse !".
Je connais ce village mais ignorais tout de ce luthiste ! Vallet est contemporain des frères Le Nain, qui peignirent de merveilleux tableaux paysans dans cette région du Sud de Laon. Bravo à ce magnifique quatuor, le luth et le théorbe étant mes instruments préférés !
Impeccably played, with great nuance and feeling!
Bravo ! une musique très agréable, très élégante, c'est un régal !
Fabulous!
Well done, guys!
Much appreciated.
nicely played with great spirit !
Lovely performance!!! Perfect
Excellent
Beautifully done. As a classical guitarist, I very much envy the sound of the lute. If only they were not so blasted difficult to tune.
The Nicolas Valet pieces performed here are quite dance oriented. Did he, I wonder, write fantasias and ricecares of a more abstract character?
It is not very dificult to tune the lute
Great to see and hear the family of Lutes, early music played on proper instruments, Lutes not Guitars!
Perfect
Beautiful music, especially when played in such a decent way. Are there any chances that your quartet gives a concert in Germany?
858 views !!?? The world is really lost...