The newly discovered annotations for Marais's music often combine five or six expressions for a single note, suggesting a dynamic and gestural approach to playing, rather than static instructions.
Performer Biography
Vittorio Ghielmi, the viol player, conductor, and composer on this album, has been compared to Jascha Heifetz for his virtuosity and is known for developing a new musical language and fresh insights into early repertoire.
Cultural Impact
Marais's music was so graceful and songlike that a sarabande from his 3rd Book was adapted with Bacchic verses and published as a drinking song in 1711.
Interpretation
New research, including previously inaccessible manuscripts, reveals that Marais's performance style involved a complex system of technical and musical vocabulary, with hundreds of detailed handwritten annotations.
Compositional Technique
Marin Marais's playing style, as described by Hubert Le Blanc in 1740, involved a 'tic-tac' bow stroke, where the bow briefly struck and left the string, similar to plucked instruments.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Marin Marais, the composer, was an avant-garde teacher who developed his own 'system' of technical and musical vocabulary, demonstrating a limitless quest for expression.
Interpretation
This album challenges modern interpretations of early music, arguing that the performing practices established in the 1970s do not fully capture the original musical texts.
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