Biography (read more)
Nicolas Vallet was a French lutenist and composer, born around 1583 at Corbeny in Aisne, France. A Huguenot, he fled France around 1613 for reasons that remain unclear and settled in Amsterdam in the Dutch Republic, where he worked as a self-supporting musician, lute teacher, and owner of a dance school. His major achievement, Le Secret des Muses, was published in two parts in 1615 and 1616 and contains compositions and instructional material for the ten-course Renaissance lute; it was among the last major publications for that instrument before the rise of the baroque lute. He also composed settings of the Psalms of David (1615) and Regia Pietas (1622). He died around 1642.
Nicolas Vallet stands at the close of the Renaissance lute tradition, and Le Secret des Muses remains one of the richest and most technically demanding lute collections of its era. As a French musician working in Amsterdam, he helped transplant French lute style to the Dutch Republic, and his music is still widely performed and recorded today as a high point of late Renaissance lute writing.
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Repertoire
Bourrée d’Avignon1616
Performed by Nigel North
Prelude (from Le Secret des Muses)1618
Performed by Antonio Totaro, Galerie des Luthiers – guitare classique
Courante de Mars (Le Secret des Muses)1618
Performed by Peter Holman, Trond Bengtson
Les Pantalons1618-1619
Performed by Marina Belova
Gaillarde (Le Secret des Muses)1618
Performed by Peter Holman
Prelude— Thomas Langlois
Performed by Thomas Langlois
Est-ce mars en courante— Thomas Langlois
Performed by Thomas Langlois
Prelude— Anthony Bailes
Performed by Anthony Bailes
Pavanne en forme de complainte— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Pavanne en forme de complainte— Anthony Bailes
Performed by Anthony Bailes
Hélas Seigneur— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Passemeze en b mol— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Bouree d’Avignon— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Gaillarde du comte Essex— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Boerinneken— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Les Pantalons— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Praeludium— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Allemande fortune helas pourquoy— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Fantasie La Mendiante— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Soet Robbert— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Gaillarde— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Carillon de Village— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Onse Vader in Hemelryck— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
La Sarabande espagnolle— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Guillemette— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Courante La Vallette— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Courante de Mars— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
La Chacona— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Une Jeune Fillette— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Onder de Lindegröne— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
La Princesse— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
L’avignonne— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Slaep soete slaep— Paul O’Dette
Performed by Paul O'Dette
Le secret des muses: Prélude I— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Courante I— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Gaillarde I— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Ballet – Ballet – Ballet des gueux— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Onder de Lindegröne— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Carillon de village— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: La mendiante fantasye— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Pavanne en forme de complainte— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Volte de la complainte— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Courante de la complainte— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Fantasye— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Gaillarde II— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Fantasye sur la passameze d’Italie— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Prélude II— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Courante II— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Ballet— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Gaillarde du comte Essex— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Onse Vader in Hemelryck— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Prélude III— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Courante III— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Passameze par bequare— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Les pantalons— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Une jeune fillette— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Le secret des muses: Bourrée d’Avignon— Nigel North
Performed by Nigel North
Onder de lindegroene— Anthony Bailes
Performed by Anthony Bailes
Chanson angloise— Anthony Bailes
Performed by Anthony Bailes
Le Secret des Muses, Livre 1: Prelude VI in F Minor— Eduardo Egüez
Performed by Eduardo Egüez
Le Secret des Muses, Livre 1: Fantasye II in A Major— Eduardo Egüez
Performed by Eduardo Egüez
Le Secret des Muses, Livre 1: Fantasye (IV) sur la passameze d’Italie— Eduardo Egüez
Performed by Eduardo Egüez
Le Secret des Muses, Livre 1: Prelude XI in C Major— Eduardo Egüez
Performed by Eduardo Egüez
Pavane en forme d’une Complainte (from “Le Secret des Muses”)— Lee Santana
Performed by Lee Santana
Courante de la Complainte (from “Le Secret des Muses”)— Lee Santana
Performed by Lee Santana
Volta de la Complainte (from “Le Secret des Muses”)— Lee Santana
Performed by Lee Santana
Vallet: Lute music – Netherlands: Slaep, soete, slaep— Konrad Ragossnig
Performed by Konrad Ragossnig
Vallet: Lute music – Netherlands: Prelude— Konrad Ragossnig
Performed by Konrad Ragossnig
Vallet: Lute music – Netherlands: Galliarde— Konrad Ragossnig
Performed by Konrad Ragossnig
Battaille from Le Secret des Muses— Lutz Kirchhof
Performed by Lutz Kirchhof
Prélude from Le Secret Des Muses (1615)— Toyohiko Satoh
Performed by Toyohiko Satoh
Fantaisie La Mendiante from Le Secret Des Muses (1615)— Toyohiko Satoh
Performed by Toyohiko Satoh
Carillon De Village from La Seconde Partie (1616)— Toyohiko Satoh
Performed by Toyohiko Satoh
Pazzemezzo D’italie & Gaillarde from La Seconde Partie (1616)— Toyohiko Satoh
Performed by Toyohiko Satoh
Soet Robbert from Le Secret Des Muses (1615)— Toyohiko Satoh
Performed by Toyohiko Satoh
Onder De Linde Groene from Le Secret Des Muses (1615)— Toyohiko Satoh
Performed by Toyohiko Satoh
Les Pantalons from Le Secret Des Muses (1615)— Toyohiko Satoh
Performed by Toyohiko Satoh
Carillon de Village— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Carillon de village— Oleg Timofeyev
Performed by Oleg Timofeyev
Prelude— Oleg Timofeyev
Performed by Oleg Timofeyev
La sarabande Espagnolle— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Gaillarde— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Praeludium— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Onse Vader in Hemelryck— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Slaep soete Slaep— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Gaillarde du comte Essex— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Une jeune Fillette— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Onder de Lindegrone— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Bourrée D’avignon— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Ballet III— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Prelude III— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Passemeze D’Italye— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Gaillaide de Passemeze— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Pavanne— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Fantasye sur le passemeze D’Italye— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Courante— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Psalm 53 Insaniens— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Canticum Marie— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Prelude I— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Fortune Angloise— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Malsimmes— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Ballet I— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
La Piccarde— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
La Vallette— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Pavanne de Spagne— Yavor Genov
Performed by Yavor Genov
Le secret des Muses: Malsimmes— Massimo Marchese
Performed by Massimo Marchese
Le secret des Muses: Slaep soete slaep— Massimo Marchese
Performed by Massimo Marchese
Le secret des Muses: Prelude— Massimo Marchese
Performed by Massimo Marchese
Le secret des Muses: Pavane de Spagne— Massimo Marchese
Performed by Massimo Marchese
Le secret des Muses: Bourree— Massimo Marchese
Performed by Massimo Marchese
Secret des muses: Fortune Angloise— Alon Sariel
Performed by Alon Sariel
21 Psalmen Davids, “Pseaumes de David”: Psalm 36 (version for lute)— Oleg Timofeyev
Performed by Oleg Timofeyev
