Nicolas Vallet (1583-1642) was a composer to whom independence was more important than financial security and the praise of princes, who was closer to the ordinary citizen than to the courtier.



He was born around 1583 in a village near Leon north of Paris, the son of a professional musician. At the age of 30 he emigrated to Amsterdam, probably because he was a Calvinist and/or to escape plague and famine. In Amsterdam he settled as a freelance musician, living near the Oude Kerk (Old Church) where Jan Sweelinck was active until his death in 1621. Vallet gave music lessons and opened a dance school in 1615. In this and the following year he published three volumes oflute music (the two-volume "Le Secret des Muses" and the "21 Psalms of David" for voice and lute. In 1626 he founded a quartet with three other lutenists, which performed in public and private settings.