Nicolas Vallet

Short bio Nicolas Vallet

Birthday: 1583

Died: 1642

Genre: Classical

Period: Baroque

Full biography Nicolas Vallet

Nicolas Vallet (c. 1583 – c. 1642) was a French lutenist and composer who emigrated to the Dutch Republic. He is best known for his lute music, which can be found in his two-part collection of music, Secretum Musarum (1615-1616).

Vallet was born in France around 1583, and by 1614 he had relocated to Amsterdam where he established a dance school and was active as a composer and lute teacher. In addition to Secretum Musarum, Vallet also wrote Le second livre de la tabulature de lute (1618) and Le grand tabulature de lute (1626).

Vallet's music is characterized by its refinement and technical skill. His work contains numerous variations and ornaments that showcase his virtuosic playing style. His compositions were highly regarded in his own time, and they continue to be studied and performed by lute players today.

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in Vallet's music, thanks in part to the efforts of lutenists like Paul O'Dette. O'Dette has recorded several albums of Vallet's music, including Le Secret des Muses (2013), which features Vallet's rarely heard pieces for two lutes.

Overall, Nicolas Vallet was an important figure in the development of lute music in the early 17th century, and his work continues to be appreciated and studied by musicians and music lovers alike.

Compositions featuring Nicolas Vallet

#	Name	Duration	Genre	Year
1	Le secret des muses, lute book (2nd ed. of Secretum musarum)		Miscellaneous (Classical)	1618
2	Bourre d'Avignon, for lute	1:19 min	Chamber Music	1616
3	Slaep soete slaep, for lute	1:39 min	Chamber Music	1616
4	Une Jeune Fillette, for lute	2:39 min	Chamber Music	1615
5	Passemeze en b mol, for lute	3:17 min	Chamber Music	1615
6	Les Pantalons, for lute	2:34 min	Chamber Music	1615
7	Allemande fortune helas pourquoy, for lute	4:00 min	Chamber Music	1615
8	La Sarabande espagnolle, for lute	1:01 min	Chamber Music	1615
9	La Princesse, for lute	1:31 min	Chamber Music	1615
10	La Chacona, for lute	1:25 min	Chamber Music	1615
11	L'avignonne, for lute	1:47 min	Chamber Music	1615
12	Guillemette, for lute	2:01 min	Chamber Music	1615
13	Gaillarde du comte Essex, for lute	3:36 min	Chamber Music	1615
14	Courante de Mars, for lute	1:56 min	Chamber Music	1615
15	Secretum musarum, lutebook		Miscellaneous (Classical)	1615
16	Soet Robbert, for lute	2:41 min	Chamber Music	1615
17	Courante La Vallette, for lute	2:20 min	Chamber Music	1615
18	Boerinneken, for lute	3:24 min	Chamber Music	1615
19	Prélude, for lute	1:39 min	Chamber Music	-
20	Prelude for lute No. 3	0:55 min	Chamber Music	-
21	La seconde partie		Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
22	Prelude for lute No. 8	1:11 min	Chamber Music	-
23	Prelude for lute No. 13	0:55 min	Chamber Music	-
24	Under the Linden	2:04 min	Chamber Music	-
25	Un jour de la semaine, for 4 lutes	1:21 min	Chamber Music	-
26	Tanneken	0:56 min	Chamber Music	-
27	Suite for 4 lutes	10:21 min	Chamber Music	-
28	Psalm 8, psalm setting for voice & lute (Pieté royale)	1:52 min	Vocal Music	-
29	Psalm 137: Esstans assis aux rives aquatiques, for lute	2:16 min	Choral	-
30	Psalm 12, for ensemble	5:35 min	Chamber Music	-
31	Psalm 31, for ensemble	2:28 min	Chamber Music	-
32	Psalm 36 for lute	3:13 min		-
33	Psalm 110, verse 5, A ton bras droit	2:11 min		-
34	Est ce Mars, for 4 lutes	1:57 min	Chamber Music	-
35	Allons aux noces, for 4 lutes	1:29 min	Chamber Music	-
36	Autre Taned Spolski, for lute (Secretum Musarum, 1615)	0:52 min	Chamber Music	-
37	Ballet, for four lutes	1:32 min	Chamber Music	-
38	Ballet, for four lutes	1:19 min	Chamber Music	-
39	Bourrée for lute	1:26 min	Chamber Music	-
40	Carillon de village	2:01 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
41	Chançon a la Polonnoise Susannesco, for lute (Secretum Musarum, 1615)	1:36 min	Chamber Music	-
42	Chançon anglaise for lute	2:27 min	Chamber Music	-
43	Courante de Mars, for 4 lutes	1:21 min	Chamber Music	-
44	Pavanne en forme de complainte	4:37 min		-
45	Fortune angloise / Malle Sijmen / Slaep, zoete slaep, motet	4:06 min	Choral	-
46	Gaillarde, for 4 lutes	2:33 min	Chamber Music	-
47	Galliarde, for lute	1:13 min	Chamber Music	-
48	Helas Seigneur	2:20 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
49	La Mendiante fantaysye, for lute	3:52 min	Chamber Music	-
50	Malsimmes, for lute	1:58 min	Chamber Music	-
51	Onse Vader in Hemelryck (From Van Eyck's der Fluyten Lust-Hof)	6:07 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
52	Pavanne de Spagne, for lute	1:25 min	Chamber Music	-

Albums featuring Nicolas Vallet

#	Name album	Year	Music label
1	Nicolas Vallet, Jacob Van Eyck – Le Secret Des Muses(CD, Album)	2007	Alice Musik Produktion
2	Nicolas Vallet - Nigel North – Le Secret Des Muses(CD, Album)	2006	Atma Classique
3	Nicolas Vallet, Paul O'Dette – Le Secret Des Muses	2003	Harmonia Mundi
4	Nicolas Vallet, Eugène Ferré – Le Secret Des Muses(CD, Album, Stereo)	1997	Auvidis-Astrée
5	Hellendaal, Van Noordt, Van den Hove, Sweelinck, Vallet, Adriaensen – Nederlandse Barokmeesters(CD, Compilation)	1992	NM Special