Marais: Sonnerie de Sainte Genevieve; Suite No. 1; Suite No. 4 - Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Alice Harnoncourt, Herbert Tachezi, Leopold Statsny

Marin Marais Liner notes

Like Vivaldi, Marin Marais was immensely popular as a composer and instrumentalist during his lifetime. Over the years, however, he has been all but forgotten. Unlike Vivaldi, whose complete works are now being published, there is little indication that more than a few of Marais' works have been printed or are being published. Considering his historical importance and the high quality of so much of his music, this is regrettable. As a virtuoso on the viola da gamba, Marais' playing was said to be "angelic" when compared to that of Antoine Forqueray ( a contemporary composer and gamba player) who was said to "play like the devil." This contrast in their manner of performance, incidentally, is reflected in their music. Marais' is tender and serene while Forqueray's is bold and full of grandeur.