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Marin Marais

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Marin Marais (31 May 1656, Paris – 15 August 1728, Paris) was a pupil of Jean-Baptiste Lully and of the viol player Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe. He was hired as a musician in 1676 to the royal court of Versailles. He did quite well as court musician, and in 1679 was appointed “ordinaire de la chambre du roy pour la viole”, a title he kept until 1725.

He was a master of the viola da gamba, and the leading French composer of viol music. He wrote five books of Pièces de viole for the instrument, generally suites with basso continuo. These were quite popular in the court, and for these he was remembered in later years as he who “founded and firmly established the empire of the viol” (Hubert le Blanc, 1740). His other works include operas, Alcyone (1706) being noted for its tempest scene.

As with Sainte-Colombe, little of Marin Marais’ personal life was known after he reached adulthood. Marin Marais married a Parisian, Catherine Damicourt, on 21 September 1676. They had 19 children together.

Facsimiles of all five books of Marais’ Pièces de viole are published by Éditions J.M. Fuzeau.

Tagged as:

baroque, classical, french, early music, chamber music
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Top Tracks

1	Passacaille	109
2	La Brillante	77
3	Les Voix Humaines	72
4	Le Badinage full track	68
5	.Suite en la majeur du Deuxi?e livre - Menuets 1 & 2 (3?livre).	63
6	Suite In C Minor -- Iii) Passacaille	62
7	Suite In D Major -- Iii) Allemande	59
8	Sonate A La Maresienne -- Iii) Tres Vivement - Gravement	52
9	Couplets De Folies full track	49
10	Suite In C Minor -- I) Prelude	41
11	La Reveuse	32
11	I. Prelude full track	32
13	L'Arabesque	27
14	Sonate A La Maresienne -- Iv) Gigue	26
15	Suite In D Major -- Vi) Charivary	25

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SmikBass wrote:
October 2009

Suitte D'un Gout Etranger, For Viola Da Gamba & Continuo is absolutely amazing. I'm suprised it's not on the list of most popular tracks

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CrazyBucket wrote:
October 2009

It's not medieval, it's baroque.

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Solvant wrote:
August 2009

people must to listen : Jean de Sainte-Colombe. The Master.

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deadmissbates wrote:
July 2009

Regarding "medieval": people will call themselves what they like, but for someone like Marais, only one word applies - genius.

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SateinenSaa wrote:
March 2009

God

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LAMAMACHA wrote:
March 2009

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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megatrax wrote:
March 2009

Hey! Check out the new "Marin Marais" group! Join if you like! :o)

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k2core wrote:
November 2008

brilliant <3. Not exaclty medievel,right?

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Kraller wrote:
August 2008

He's on tour right now...lol

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Luuttuaja wrote:
May 2008

Neither have I heard them being called "medieval" in real life, but here at last.fm they are tagged as medieval. Other medieval stars include Blind Guardian and Ritchie Blackmore.

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Grosseteste wrote:
May 2008

Mind you, I don't remember Gentle Giant ever being described as mediaeval.

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FSylvestris wrote:
April 2008

What they have to do with is a confused idea of the past in which everything from ancient Sumeria to about 1950 is one big shapeless blur of helmets, thick-armed swordsmen, and no TV. So yeah, it's all, like, Medieval.

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Tohelle wrote:
March 2008

I agree with the big head' below (not to be confused with veal head above. And these recent medieval groups are called goths, which, truly, have very little to do with either medievals or baroque! In fact, what do they have to do with? Does any one understand me?

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BethornedThrone wrote:
February 2008

Most black metal that tries to come off as 'medieval' is just some retard slamming the synthesizer. Does not qualify as medieval.

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Luuttuaja wrote:
September 2007

Ironically, Marais is actually closer to medieval music than those prog rock / black metal / new age artists that usually are tagged as medieval: Gentle Giant, Satyricon, Adiemus etc.

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Grosseteste wrote:
July 2007

Mediaeval? The mediaeval period is a *litle* vague, but is generally accepted as ending in the fifteenth century -- rouughly two centuries before Marais.

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SunSeya wrote:
February 2007

We want you in RANDHOME http://www.lastfm.it/group/Randhome+Music pEACE :D

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wonder_al wrote:
January 2007

\o/

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