Classical Music | Music for Viola

Recorded on 04/04/2012, uploaded on 08/21/2012

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Marin Marais was the chief authority of the French viola da gamba school in the late 17^th – early 18^th centuries. Most of his works were written for the bass viol, an instrument with frets and seven strings. Very little is known about Marais' life and work, though we do know that one of his mentors was Jean-Baptiste Lully himself. We also know that he married one Catherine d'Amicourt, fathering 19 children with her. Marais' best known work is the five-book collection Pièces de viole written between 1686-1725, unique of its kind, highly imaginative, and demanding for the player. Virtually nothing is known about the Five French Dances of today's program. They appear in the Book IV of Pièces de viole (1717) and were likely published as a set in that same year. Although there are versions of it for modern violin, viola and cello, the set is hardly ever heard in public.     Viacheslav Dinerchtein

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.