Charles Hurel

Charles Hurel was a musician and eminent professor from a prosperous family of Parisian luthiers^[3] which included some of the main instrumental factors of Paris in the 17th century.^[1]

He seems to have been the only member of his family who was also a composer.^[4]

He was listed as "ordinary officer of the Academy of Music" in 1684 and as a professor of theorbo in Paris.^[4]

A document of 7 April 1676, which gives his signature and that of several other members of his family, describes him as a "lute player".^[1]

Among his pupils were Marie Du Port de la Balme and Mademoiselle de Lionne.^[5]

He died in Paris c. 1692.^[4][5]

Charles Hurel had a namesake, who died in 1648,^[6] who was a master painter and sculptor, active among others in the realization of ceilings painted "à la française".^[7]

• Tablature de luth et de théorbe (c. 1675^[8] or 1680^[9][10])
• Theorbo pieces by Charles Hurel, together with lute and theorbo pieces by many other composers can be found in the manuscrit Vaudry de Saizenay [fr] (c. 1699) housed at the Bibliothèque municipale de Besançon.^[11][12][13]

• Christopher Wilke: Works for Theorbo - Centaur Records CRC 2875

• Lute
• Theorbo