Gaillarde Du Comte Essex - Music

Nicolas Vallet Ca. 1583 – Ca. 1642 Was A Dutch Lutenist And Composer Of French Birth. Born In Corbény France Vallet Settled Down In Amsterdam Around 1613. There He Worked As A Self-Supporting Musician And Lute Teacher. In 1626 He Formed An An Ensemble With Three English Lutists. He Later Became The Owner Of A Dance School. Vallet's Significance As A Composer Comes From Four Collections Of Compositions Published Between 1615 And 1620. These Compositions Include Both Secular And Religious Works For Vocals And Lute. The Secular Works Consist Of Both Vallet's Own Compositions In A Semi-Polyphonic Style As Well As Reworkings Of Old And New French Dance Styles Such As Pavane Gaillard Bourrée And Courante. He Also Composed Variations On Some Popular Folk Songs. Vallet's Religious Compositions Suggest An Influence From The Organ Improvisations Of Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck. His Primary Work Le Secret Des Muses Contains Compositions And Instruction For The 10-String Renaissance Lute. It Appeared 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 Vallet May Have Been Among The First To Introduce Ornaments Into Lute Tablature. read less