Music of Francois Dufaut, Pierre Gaultier, etc.

11-course Lute after Martin Hoffmann, Leipzig, 1697, from Nico van der Waals, 1992

The French lutenist Francois Dufaut first lived in Paris. Towards 1652 he moved to England. (He died in London ca. 1670.)

René Milleran in his collection of lute music refers him as one of the best lutenists of his time alongside Gaultier, Gallot, and Mouton.
This praise was evidenced by his many compositions in over 90 manuscripts in France, England and Germany. Approximately 165 pieces have been attributed to him. Constantijn Huygens, the Dutch lute-enthusiast, statesman, aristocrat, and a fine composer himself, was calling Dufault 'the rarest man I ever hope to see upon the lute', and exclaiming, 'Surely he is the rarest compositor that I ever heard, and the sweetest humor of a man.
In 1662 the Dutch lute-enthusiast Constantijn Huygens had been in Paris on a diplomatic mission for about a year, and had thoroughly enjoyed soaking up the musical atmosphere, meeting many musicians for the first time whom he had only previously known by correspondence. One of these was François Dufault, to whom he entrusted some letters for friends in England where he was about to travel. Huygens's copies of those letters survive, and in two of them he mentions his illustrious postman, calling Dufault 'the rarest man I ever hope to see upon the lute', and exclaiming, 'Surely he is the rarest compositor that I ever heard, and the sweetest humor of a man.'