Marais - Chaconne for Solo Viola da Gamba

MARIN MARAIS (1656-1728)

"Pieces a une et a deux violes" Book I - Chaconne

Performed by John Dornenburg, viola da gamba

*Marin Marais was a French composer and viol player. He studied composition with Jean-Baptiste Lully, often conducting his operas, and with master of the bass viol Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe for 6 months. 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 basse de viol, and the leading French composer of music for the instrument. He wrote five books of Pièces de viole (1686-1725) 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 a book of Pièces en trio (1692) and four operas (1693-1709), Alcyone (1706) being noted for its tempest scene.

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

Marais and his music were featured in the film Tous les matins du monde (1991), an atmospheric, meticulously imagined life of Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe. Marais' music figured prominently in that film, including his longer work Sonnerie de Ste-Geneviève du Mont-de-Paris (1723). A recording of the Sonnerie performed on a Fairlight synthesizer was used in the cult classic film Liquid Sky.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• bach
• handel
• mozart
• beethoven
• concerto
• harpsichord
• historically
• informed
• performance
• corelli
• classical
• sonata
• sinfonia

[devnation]

Just personal preference didn't mean anything by it. Certainly there shouldn't be a sweeping generalization made, though, I was merely highlighting the links in light of the instruments and their development. Thanks for putting up the track.

[HARMONICO101]

No problem. I liked chatting with you. :)

[devnation]

"one being the precursor to the violin family, whereas the latter group (viol family)" yes families that have a relation in so much as they are related in their development and the families bear relation in as much as ones effect on the other, sheer influence.

[HARMONICO101]

Of course they influenced each other. They are both string instruments that existed at the same time. Still doesn't mean they should be lumped together into one family.

[devnation]

Classification: viol/viola da gamba/lira da gamba (all genealogically derived, in a loosely tangible sense from the Spanish vihuela or strictly dependant on your disposition). Please access, for corroborative purposes, the Hutchinson Encyclopædia also the Britannica Encyclopædia 2009. The various names the interrelations are evident (lieu the texts that have been flagged). Again as regards the aesthetics it's subjective as aforementioned, I think they look very similar I remained unmoved.

[HARMONICO101]

It's also noteworthy that viol's direct ancestor is the vihuela, which may have come from the lute, whereas the direct ancestor of the viola and violin is the viola da braccio, which comes from the rebec, and then the Arabic rebab.

[ifrit1780]

The Viola da Gamba looks kind of cute. Its chubby, and sounds good too!

[lichtbroeder]

Funny how we can for for years paying no attention to certain instruments, then - they grab us. My favorite instrument to play is the harpsichord. Recently I started to gravitate to the viol da gamba, like I'm hearing it for the first time, and wonder why it took so long for me to "find" it. Its' sound goes right to the heart and my response to it is almost physical, as well as aural. Like hearing the voice of a long lost parent, friend, lover or child.

[cuperona]

@HARMONICO101 have u ever checked Praetorius?if not,do it and u'll find interesting things about what u were discussing... thank's for the post :)

[cuculus50]

I am reminded of Shakespeare's Richard III "... in a lady's chamber to the lascivious pleasings of a lute". Not certain if that is exact, but it is illuminating.

[cuculus50]

@MrNicholasarcher

These instruments are typical of the period and can be described as true chamber instruments. The sound is intimate rather than dramatic, They, like the lutes, passed out of existance because they could not compete in an orchestral, concert envoironment. The lutes tried not to go quietly and became huge (see theorbos and archlutes) in an attempt to contribute to the orchestral texture of the time. The writing, however, was on the wall.

[Dansback21]

@cuculus50 indeed so. For some reason, the bass never was change much. But the others started to change with the changing music and about 1503, you get the first violin by the Amati family, of course it was still lacking the bass bone and longer finger board, and fine tuners. This was the boroque form before the modern adaptations around paganini's time when the further modifications were made

[sbpurple]

omg the impossible! i solo for a viola! O_O i think ive died and gone to heaven! YAY!!!!!!!!! i am content now.

[abink10]

@Joelpenguin google quall publications. i think they sell early music.

[SophosVII]

@Joelpenguin While I agree that good and true artists should be supported. I believe that art is not the creation of any individual, art is the creation of all of the society and the environment, it is my creation as much as it is Marais'' You can use the download link to the lower right corner. Share as you please and contribute as your heart tells. GW.

[7antoosah]

Deep, beautiful, mix of emotions...