Charles Mouton

Charles Mouton by Francois de Troy, Paris, 1690Charles Mouton (c. 1626 – 1710) was a famous French lutenist and lute composer.

There is only little information known about him. He was born probably in Rouen, studied probably with Denis Gaultier and early in his career, he worked at the court of the dukes of Savoy in Turin. In the 1660s, he taught lute Paris nobles. He returned to Turin in 1676, then to Paris in 1678 and around 1680, he published two books of lute pieces (Pieces de luth sur differents modes), of which only one copy exists. According to the catalog of the music publisher Estienne Roger (Amsterdam, 1716), there were four books. There are also other pieces scattered in various manuscripts, together more than 120 pieces.