Carolus (Carel) Hacquart is one of the most important composers of the Low Countries of the 17th century. He was born ca. 1640 in Bruges and received his education, comprising Latin and composition as well as viola da gamba, lute and organ, most probably in his native town. Attracted by the growth of musical life of the rich citizens of the United Provinces, he moved with his brother Philip to Amsterdam in the early 1670's where both gained a living as free-lance musicians, giving lessons to members of the local bourgeoisie.

The twelve suites by Hacquart constitute an impressive synthesis of the many tendencies of viol composition in the second half of the 17th century. Differing from his Dutch contemporaries who preferred a rather loose sequence of dances, he adopted the classical French arrangement with the four standard dance movements, preceded by a free prelude or fantasy. The sarabandes have ornamented repeats as practiced by French composers of keyboard music, but the typical French agréments are absent. Instead, Hacquart preferred the highly developed diminution art of Dutch and English musicians.