Marin Marais
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Marin Marais
(b Paris, 31 May 1656; d there, 15 Aug 1728). French composer. The central figure in the French bass viol school, he spent his life in Paris, much of it in royal service. A pupil of Sainte-Colombe and protégé of Lully, he composed four operas (1693-1709 - notably Alcione, 1706, famous for its storm scene) that form an important link between Lully and Campra. But his greatest significance lies in his five collections of music for one to three bass viols (1686-1725), comprising over 550 pieces. As well as the usual dances, they include character pieces that are among his finest works, and they possess an eloquence and refinement of line and richness of ornamental detail that perfectly display the qualities of his instrument. The Pieces en trio (1692) are recognized as the first appearance of the trio sonata in France.
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Marin Marais
Biography
Marin Marais, who lived in Paris all his life, became a renown exponent and virtuoso of the bass viol, both as a composer and an extemporaneous improviser on the instrument. His teacher was the historically obscure composer Monsieur de Sainte Colombe, himself a highly independent virtuoso and teacher who refused an invitation to be included in Jean Baptiste Lully's orchestra in the court of Louis XIV, preferring to live in his small garden house with his two daughters, where, rumor has it, he was visited by the ghost of his dead wife. After six months of teaching Marais, Saint Columbe declared that Marin had become so competent that he had nothing else to teach him. Marais also studied composition with Lully, helped produce his operas, and played in the royal orchestra. Marais also composed four operas, instrumental music that could often be arranged to be played by several instruments other than the original instrument for which they were written. But he is most famous for the five books of bass viol pieces that contain over 550 individual compositions. He eventually married and had 19 children.This history is recounted in the exquisitely beautiful, slow paced, and highly musical film Tous les matins du monde (1991) (aka All the Mornings of the World and Every Morning of the World), written and directed by Alain Corneau. The cast includes Jean-Pierre Marielle as Monsieur de Sainte Colombe, Gérard Depardieu as the mature Marin Marais who narrates from his diary, and Gérard's real-life son Guillaume Depardieu in the role of the young Marais. The moving soundtrack includes excellently performed selections from the music of Lully, Sainte Colombe (Les Pleurs, Le Retour, Prelude in G Minor), François Couperin (the very touching Leçon de Ténèbres 3, for two treble voices and continuo), various anonymous pieces (Une jeune fillette, Fantaisie in E Minor), and a generous collection of excerpts from Marais' own compositions: Les folies d'Espagne for flute (or viola da gamba) and continuo; La Reveuse and Le Badinage from the Pièces à une ou deux violes avec basse continue Bk. 4; L'Arabesque; the tribute in memoriam of his teacher Tombeau pour Mr de Sainte Colombe from Bk. 2 of the Piéces; several Muzettes; and the wonderful La Sonnerie de Sainte Geneviève du Mont à Paris for violin, viola da gamba, and continuo in which the persistent ringing of the "bells" is imaginatively wrought.
The use of Marais' music was motivated by quite a different purpose than historical realism when it was adapted for the odd, often cheesy satire on sci-fi film called Liquid Sky (1982), directed by Slava Tsukerman. The film concerns aliens who have come to Earth to score heroin. Scenes and music from Marais' much-admired opera Alcione (1706) have appeared in the live performance film William Christie et Les Arts Florissants, ou La passion du baroque (1994), directed by Andrea Kirsch, and in Véra Belmont's Marquise (1997). This opera is filled with much beautiful writing and contains an impressive storm scene. ~ "Blue" Gene Tyranny, Rovi
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Marin Marais
- Genres: Chamber Music
Biography
Marin Marais (1656-1728) was the most celebrated bass viol player of his time, and he left a legacy of more than 600 works, many for his instrument. Living his entire life in Paris, Marais studied viol with the famed Sainte-Colombe, and eventually achieved the position of "Regular Violist for the King," which he held from 1679 to 1725. He was an orchestral musician in Lully's operas, and their association led Marais to compose four five-act operas of his own. But he is remembered today for his various viol collections, which gathered his character pieces, dances, rondeaux, chaconnes, fantasies, and tombeaux. ~ Blair Sanderson, RoviWikipedia on Answers.com:
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Marin Marais
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Marin Marais (31 May 1656, Paris – 15 August 1728, Paris) 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.
Titon du Tillet included Marais in Le Parnasse françois, making the following comments on two of his pieces, Le Labyrinthe, perhaps inspired by the labyrinth of Versailles,[1] and La Gamme:
| “ | A piece from his fourth book entitled The Labyrinth, which passes through various keys, strikes various dissonances and notes the uncertainty of a man caught in a labyrinth through serious and then quick passages; he comes out of it happily and finishes with a gracious and natural chaconne. But he surprised musical connoisseurs even more successfully with his pieces called La Gamme [The Scale], which is a piece de symphonie that imperceptibly ascends the steps of the octave; one then descends, thereby going through harmonious songs and melodious tones, the various sounds of music. | ” |
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 September 21, 1676. They had 19 children together.
Facsimiles of all five books of Marais' Pièces de viole are published by Éditions J.M. Fuzeau. A complete critical edition of his instrumental works in seven volumes, edited by John Hsu, is published by Broude Brothers. Marais is credited with being one of the earliest composers of program music.[2] His work The Gallbladder Operation, for viola da gamba and harpsichord, includes composer's annotations such as "The patient is bound with silken cords" and "He screameth."[2]
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Contents
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Works
Instrumental music
- Pieces for 1 and 2 viols, Book I (20 August 1686, only solo viols, 1 March 1689 first published with associated basso continuo)
- Pieces en trio pour les flutes, violon, et dessus de viole (published on 20 December 1692, dedicated to Marie-Anne Roland)
- Pieces for 1 and 2 viols, Book II (1701), including 32 couplets on "Les folies d'Espagne"
- Pièces de violes, Book III (1711)
- Pieces for 1 and 3 viols, Book IV (1717; includes the famous Suitte d'un Goût Étranger.)
- La gamme et autres morceaux de symphonie (1723, includes La Gamme en forme d'un petit Opéra, Sonate à la Maresienne, Sonnerie de Ste-Geneviève du Mont-de-Paris)
- Pièces de violes, Book V (1725)
- 145 Pieces for viol (c. 1680), about 100 pieces were published in Books I - III
Operas
- Idylle dramatique of 1686 (music lost)
- Alcide (1693, in collaboration with Louis Lully)
- Ariane et Bacchus (1696)
- Alcyone (premiered on 18 February 1706)
- Sémélé (1709)
- Pantomime des pages (with Louis Lully, music lost)
Sacred works
- Te Deum (1701) for the recovery of the Dauphin (lost)
- Motet Domine salvum fac regem (1701) for the recovery of the Dauphin (lost)
Media
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Discography
Marin Marais, Sonnerie de Ste-Genevieve du Mont, Suite en Do majeur (C major), Suite en Re majeur (D major); performers: N. Harnoncourt, A. Harnoncourt, L.Stastny, H. Tachezi; recording label: Harmonia Mundi, France, no. HMC 90414; 1973, 1987.
Marin Marais, Les Folies d'Espagne, La reveuse, L'arabesque, Le badinage, Sonnerie de Ste-Genevieve du Mont; performers: Jordi Savall (Bass viola da gamba), Pierre Hantaï (Harpsichord), Rolf Lislevand (Theorbo); recording label: Alia Vox, 9821; 2002.
- [1] Marin Marais : Pièces de viole du Second Livre, 1701 (Le Parnasse de la Viole, vol. II) - Jordi Savall et al. - Alia Vox AV 9828
- [2] Marin Marais : Suitte d'un Goût Étranger, Pièces de viole du Livre IV, 1717 (Le Parnasse de la Viole, vol. III) - Jordi Savall et al. - Alia Vox AVSA 9851
- [3] Marin Marais ~ Pièces de viole des Cinq Livres ~ J.Savall, C. Coin, T. Koopman, H. Smith, A. Gallet ~ Alia Vox AVSA 9872
- Marin Marais Unedited Music from Scottish Manuscripts Volume 1
Marais unedited music volume 1
- Marin Marais Unedited Music from Scottish Manuscripts Volume 2
Marais unedited music Volume II
References in Film
- 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). The role of Marin Marais is played by Gérard Depardieu as an old man and by Guillaume Depardieu as a young man.
- A recording of the Sonnerie performed on a Fairlight synthesizer was used in the cult classic film Liquid Sky.
References
- ^ "track lisitng for Marais' Le Labyrinthe". http://www.mymusicbase.ru/PPS4/sd_4628.htm.
- ^ a b Henri Temianka (1973). Facing the music; an irreverent close-up of the real concert world. New York: David McKay Co.. p. 82. OCLC 243915303.
External links
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Oxford Grove Music Encyclopedia
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Mentioned in
Pierre Bartholomée
(music)
All the Mornings of the World
(1991 Drama Film)
Jacques Morel
(Classical Artist)
Couplets de folies (Les folies d'Espagne), for flute & continuo (or various arrangements)
(Classical Work)
Tombeau pour M. de Sainte-Colombe, for viola da gamba & continuo in E minor (Pièces de viole, Book II, No. 109)
(Classical Work)
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