Marin Marais's Pieces de Violes

5/20/2018 Marin Marais's Pieces de Violes

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Marin Marais's Pieces de ViolesAuthor(s): Clyde H. ThompsonReviewed work(s):Source: The Musical Quarterly, Vol. 46, No. 4 (Oct., 1960), pp. 482-499Published by: Oxford University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/740751.

Accessed: 22/11/2011 07:45

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2/21

MARIN

MARAIS'S

PIECES

DE

VIOLES

By

CLYDE

H.

THOMPSON

MARIN

MARAIS

was the

central

figure

in

the

French

school

of

bass-viol

composers

and

performers

that

flourished

during

the

late 17th and early 18th centuries. He spent

his entire

life in

Paris,

and

the

greater part

of

it in

royal

service. First

appointed

as

Ordinaire

de

la

Musique

de

la

Chambre

du Roi in

1685,

he

retained

that

post

through-

out

the

reign

of

Louis

XIV and

from

1715

to 1725

served

under

the

Regency

and

Louis

XV.

His

contemporaries

recognized

him

as

an

out-

standing

performer

and

a

composer

of

stature

whose

works

for

viols

and

the

operatic

stage

were known

beyond

the

boundaries

of

France.

These

barest of

facts

represent

almost

the

entire

body

of

readily

available information concerning a musician who was a major figure in

French

music

during

his lifetime.

Little

else

about

Marais's

life,

and

even

less about

his

music,

has

appeared

in

print.'

Music

historians

from

Hawkins

and

Burney

to

the

present

have

accorded

him

passing

mention,

at

least,

and

some

have,

albeit

cautiously,

extolled

the

excellence

of

his

works.

In

addition,

the

revival

of

interest

in

the

viols

and,

concur-

rently,

an

occasional

performance

of a

piece

by

Marais

have

focused

attention

on Marais

and

his

contemporaries,

who

represent

the

final

flowering of the literature for these once indispensable instruments. Still,

the

poverty

of

information

persists.

This

seems

particularly

curious

since

the

period

in

which

he

lived

produced

some

of the

most

important

developments

in

the

history

of

string

music.

In view

of the

increasing

interest

in

the

music

of

this

period

and

Marais's

admitted

stature

in

that

epoch,

it seems

pertinent

to

supply

some

additional

detail

concerning

his life

and

times

and

a

discussion

of his contribution

to the

art

of

1

See

Richard

Newton,

Hommage

c~

Marin

Marais,

in

The

Consort,

June

1952,

14 ff.; Newton, More About Marais, in The Consort, July 1953, 12 ff.;

Fran


3/21

Marin

Marais's Pisces de Violes 483

le

grand

siecle.

Moreover,

it would

appear

that

those who are

especially

interested

in the literature for viols

may

find an

exposition

of the

contents of Marais's five books of Pidces de Violes particularly useful.

The most extensive account of

Marin

Marais's life

and works

was

provided

by

Titon du Tillet in his Le Parnasse

frangois

(Paris, 1732).

Dedicated to

the

greater

glory

of the

practically

divine

Louis

XIV,

the

work

depicted

an

imaginary

Parnassus of

poetry

and

music

over

which

Louis ruled with noble forbearance. The

leading

poets

and

musicians

of the late 17th and

early

18th

centuries

were

given places

around the

throne

in accordance with their

importance. Marin

Marais,

in

company

with Jean-Baptiste Lully, Climent Marot, Isaac de Benserade, Philippe

Quinault,

and Michel

Delalande,

among

others,

was

included

in the

royal

entourage.

Each member

of the select

group

was

eulogized

in the

body

of

the

work

by

a

medallion

engraved

in his

likeness and

a

section

devoted

to his life and

accomplishments

(see

Plate

I).

Le

Parnasse

frangois

is an invaluable source for

information

concerning poets

and

musicians

of this

period.

In

the

case of

Marais,

it

appears

to

have

served

as

the most

important single repository

of

contemporary

information.'

Titon

relates that Marais

was

born

in

Paris on

May

31, 1656,

and

died

there on

August

15,

1728.

As

a

boy,

he

was

a

member

of the

choir of

the

Sainte-Chapelle

and in his teens studied

the

basse

de viole

with Hotman

and

Sainte-Colombe,

both

important

figures

in the

early

development

of French

string

music. Marais

entered

the

royal

orchestra

as

a

soloist

in 1685 and about

the same

time

became a

member of

the

orchestra

of the

Acadimie

Royale

de

Musique.

In the latter

position

he

played

under

the direction

of

Lully,

who

later

became his teacher

in

composition.

Marais

spent

the

remainder of his life

performing

and

composing,

and

also

fathering

nineteen

children,

several of

whom became

important

figures

in

French

musical

life.

The

list of

works

that Titon

provides

comprises

five

volumes

of

Pidces

de

Violes

(1686-1725);

a

book of

Pidces en

Trio

(1692),

which

appear

to

be

the

first

of

their

kind

published

in

France;

four

operas:

Alcide

(1693),

Ariadne et

Bacchus

(1696),

Alcione

(1703),

and

2 Titon's essay on Marais is clearly the basis for other well-known articles on

Marais.

The information

given

by

Laborde in his Essai

sur la

musique

(Paris,

1780,

III, 449)

is based

almost

entirely

on Titon's work. Whole sentences were

lifted

intact

from

Titon's

essay.

Similar

practices

are

evident in the

articles

by

William

Barclay

Squire

in Grove's

Dictionary of

Music and

Musicians,

5th

ed.,

V,

559

f.;

Sir

John

Hawkins,

General

History

of

the Science

and Practice

of

Music, London,

1776,

V,

45

f., reprint

London,

1875, II,

779.


4/21

484

The Musical

Quarterly

Semild

(1709);

a Te Deum which Titon

states was

performed

at

the

occasion

of the convalescence

of Monsieur le

Dauphin,

apparently

in

1701; and a group of works, consisting of La Gamme, Sonnate

a

la

Maresienne,

and

La

Sonnerie

de Sainte GeneviLve

du

Mont,

that were

performed

sur

le

Violon,

la

Viole

&

le Clavecin

and

appeared

together

in folio in 1723.

The

last three

works

apparently

have

not

survived.

The

Te

Deum,

described

as

in

manuscript

by

Titon,

appears

to

have

suffered the same

fate.

The instrument

for

which Marais wrote

the

major portion

of

his

works

is

commonly

referred

to as the viola

da

gamba.

Strictly

speaking,

however, it was the small bass of the viol family, which in the 17th

and

early

18th

centuries

included

as

many

as nine different

sizes

of

instruments,

all

called

by

the

generic

name

viola

da

gamba.

Marais's

instrument

-

viola da

gamba,

bass

viol,

basse de

viole, or,

simply,

"gamba"

-

was

somewhat

smaller than

the

modem

'cello

and had

frets

and seven

strings,

tuned to

A1,

D,

G,

c,

e, a,

d'.

According

to

contemporary

accounts,

Marais

was

recognized

as the

greatest

performer

on

the

bass viol of his era.

Hubert

le

Blanc

reported

that

Marais

played

the viol

"like

an

angel,"3

and

Johann

Gottfried

Walther

called

him

"an

incomparable

French

violdigambist."'4

Con-

temporary

judgments

of his

prowess

as

a

composer

are

no

less enthu-

siastic.

Joachim

Christoph

Nemeitz

declared

that

Marais's

works

"were

known

by

the

whole of

Europe."5

Titon

stated:

"One

recognizes

the

fecundity

and

elegance

of the

genius

of

this

musician

by

the

quantity

of

works

he has

composed.

One

finds

everywhere

in

them

good

taste

and a

surprising

variety."'6

Although

Marais's

operas,

trio

sonatas,

and other

compositions

were

widely

performed

during

his

lifetime,

the

most

significant

part

of

his

musical

output

is

represented

by

the

five

books of

Pidces

de Violes

that

he

produced

over

a

period

of

forty

years,

between

1686 and

1725.

These

collections

include

more

than

550

compositions

for

one, two,

and

three bass

viols

and

figured

bass.

All

volumes

were

originally

published

3

Hubert

le

Blanc,

Difense

de la basse

de

viole,

Paris,

1740, p.

59.

4 Johann Gottfried Walther, Musicalisches Lexicon (1732), facsimile ed. by

Richard

Schaal,

Kassel,

1953,

p.

382,

5

Joachim

Christoph

Nemeitz,

Sejour

de

Paris,

Leiden,

1727, p.

352.

6

Le Parnasse

fran~ois, p.

626.

"On

connoit

la

ficondit6

& la

beautC

du

genie

de

ce Musicien

par

la

quantit6

d'ouvrages

qu'il

a

composez.

On y

trouve

par-tout

un bon

goft

&

une

variett

surprenante."


5/21

1x~

Plate I

Medallions

struck in

honor

of

Manin

Marais

and

Michel

Delalande.

From

Le

Parnasse

frangois.


6/21

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7/21

Marin Marais's

Pidces de Violes

485

by

the

composer.

Etienne

Rogers, according

to

a

list of his

publications

issued

in

1716,

reprinted

at least

the

first three

volumes.7

The

Rogers

reprints were piracies, but they did follow the originals closely and

contained all the

directions

for

bowing, fingering,

and

interpretation

that were

present

in

the Paris editions. Marais's

first volume was reissued

from the

original

plates

in 1698. The fourth

volume

was

reprinted

in

Paris in

1729,

in

accordance

with a

royal

privilege

granted

to

the

composer's

heirs in that

year."

All

collections

were

printed

in

separate part-books

for each of the

viols and

the

figured

bass.

The

only

works that

appeared

in

score

were

ten additional pieces that were appended to the Basse-continues des

pieces

d

une et

t

deux

Violes

(1689).

While the notation

employed

in

the

collections

generally

corresponds

to

modern

practice,

cadential

groups

often

contain more

notes

than

the actual time

value allows. These

are

invariably

florid

passages

in which the

groups

of notes function as

ornamental

figures

that

do

not

alter the

rhythmic

progress.

The clefs

employed

include

three C clefs

(mezzo-soprano,

alto,

and

tenor),

in

addition

to

the G and

F

clefs. Marais's

preludes

are

consistently

barred

throughout, unlike those by earlier composers for the lute, clavecin, and

viol,

which

were left

unbarred in accordance with

their

improvisatory

character.

Marais,

like

Frangois

Couperin, apparently

hesitated to

leave

his

examples

unbarred.

Both

composers,

however,

retained the

free

style

and

impromptu

character

that

was

traditionally

associated

with

this

type

of movement.

Although

the five

collections

contain similar

types

of

pieces,

they

differ in

design

and

in

the

number

of

instrumental

parts required.

The

great majority of works was intended for one bass viol and figured bass.

All

collections

include

pieces

for this

combination. Book I offers

twenty

additional works for

two viols and

figured

bass. The

preface

to

each

volume,

with

the

exception

of

the

first,

states that

many

of

the

pieces

are

appropriate

for

other

instruments,

such as the treble

viol,

violin,

organ,

theorbo,

and

transverse flute.

The

grouping

of

single

compositions

into

larger

entities,

i.

e. suites

or sets

of works

that exhibit

some kind

of

formal

unity,

follows

no

7

See Denis

Vairaisse,

Histoire

des

Severambes,

Peuples qui Hapitent

Une

Partie du

troisidme Continent communiment

appell

La

Terre

Australe,

Amsterdam:

Etienne

Rogers,

1716,

II,

345.

The

publisher

included

a list of

his

musical

pub-

lications as an

appendix

to

this volume.

8

Michel

Brenet,

La

Librairie musicale en France de 1653

&

790,

in

Sammel-

biinde

der Internationalen

Musikgesellschaft,

VIII

(1905-07),

432.


8/21

486 The Musical

Quarterly

consistent

plan.

French

composers

of

the late

17th

and

early

18th

centuries did not share the interest in the

development

of the suite

as

a unified form that was manifested by their German contemporaries.

Sebastien

de

Brossard's Dictionnaire de

musique

(1703)

does

not

list

the

term

suite

as such.

As

late

as

1768,

the

Dictionnaire de

musique

by

Jean

Jacques

Rousseau

entered under suite

only

a

reference

to the

article

sonate,

where, however,

the term suite is

sufficiently

clarified.

Marais

did

refer to a

set

of

his

pieces

as

a

suitte

in the

preface

to the

Basse-continues

of

1689,

but his

first

use

of the

term

as a

title

for

a set

of movements

does

not

appear

before

the

Fourth Book

(1717).

Marais consistently uses a common tonality for all the pieces in a

specific

set,

with but

two

exceptions,

in all of his collections.

In this

practice

he

followed the lead

of the

lute

composers

and their

successors,

the clavecin

composers.

The two collections

of solo-viol

music

that

appeared

before the

publication

of Marais's

first

volume,

the

first

by

a

certain Du

Buisson

(1660)

and

the other

by

the

better-known

Le

Sieur

de

Machy

(1685),

adhered

to the familiar

sequence, prelude,

allemande,

sarabande,

and

gigue,

with but one

exception.

De

Machy

substituted

a

chaconne for the gigue in his last suite.9 The plan of Marais's suites lies

somewhere

between

the

fairly

circumscribed

content

and

sequence

em-

ployed

by

the lute and

earlier

viol

composers,

and

the

flexible,

inconstant

arrangement

evident

in

the

works of

the

clavecin

masters.

Many

of

Marais's

sets

are

limited

to

the established

dance

movements,

with

the

addition

of

the

double, minuet,

and

gavotte.

Others

contain as

many

as

forty-one separate

pieces.

The

larger

sets

normally

include the

usual

dance movements

and,

in

addition,

chaconne, fantaisie,

rondeau,

and

a

great variety of special pieces that the composer termed les pidces de

caracteres.

The term suite

hardly

seems

appropriate

for such

diverse

sets

of works.

Most of

them,

however,

do include the

standard

dance

forms

that

were

typical

of the

suite,

and

the

unifying

bond

provided

by

a

common

tonality.

These

traits,

coupled

with the fact

that the

composer

himself

employed

the

word

suitte

in reference to

them,

seem to

supply

ample

justification

for

the

use

of the

term.

Marais's

first

collection

of

pieces

for viols

(see

Plate

II)

was

dedi-

cated to Lully and appeared in 1686 under the title PIECES a une

et

a deux

VIOLES

Compose'es par

M. Marais

ordinaire

de la

musique

de

la Chambre

du

Roy.

Its

formal

design

incorporates

features

found

in the

publications

of

his

predecessors.

All

the traditional

dance

forms

SLe

Sieur

de

Machy,

Pieces de

Violle,

Paris,

1685.


9/21

Marin

Marais's

Pisces de

Violes

487

are

present.

There

is, however,

no

visible

attempt

to establish a definite

order.

Prelude,

allemande,

courante,

sarabande,

and

gigue appear

in

all the suites and usually in the same order. The movements are, how-

ever,

frequently

separated by

other

pieces,

doubles,

or

by duplications

of

the same

type.

Most suites introduce a

prelude

as the

initial

member

and maintain

the

same

tonality throughout.

The first

suite,

in D

minor,

demonstrates the

apparent

looseness of

the scheme:

1. Prelude

2.

Prelude

3.

Prelude

4. Prelude

5. Fantaisie

6.

Allemande

7. Double

8. Allemande

9.

Double

10. Courante

11. Double

12.

Sarabande

13. Courante

14. Double

15. Sarabande

16.

Gigue

17. Double

18. Gigue

19.

Gigue

20.

Double

21.

Fantaisie

22.

Rondeau

23.

Menuet

24.

Rondeau

25.

Menuet

26.

Gavotte

en

Rondeau

27.

Gavotte

Eleven

different

types

of

works,

omitting

doubles,

are

present

in

a

set

containing

twenty-seven

compositions.

The

suite

includes

four

pre-

ludes,

two

allemandes,

two

courantes,

two

sarabandes,

three

gigues,

in

addition

to

the doubles

and miscellaneous

movements.

It seems

clear

that the

composer

did not intend

the

set to be

performed

as

a continuous

group

of

pieces.

Rather,

he

offered a

collection

of

compositions

from

which a performer could select a smaller group of contrasting works,

or

which

he could

use as

a

repository

of assorted

pieces

in

any

manner

that

seemed

appropriate.

The

arrangement

offers

many

possibilities

for

a

variety

of

sequence

- a virtue

that

may

have had considerable

value

for

Marais

and other

performers.

The

second

suite,

in

D

major,

reveals

a

somewhat

different

plan.

The

customary

prelude

is followed

by

a

fantaisie

and a second

prelude.

Two allemandes

and

a

double,

two courantes

and

a

double,

two

sara-

bandes

and

two

gigues

ensue,

in that order. The remainder

of the suite

includes

a

paysanne,

rondeau,

gavotte,

three

minuets,

and a

lengthy

chaconne.

The

disparity

in the

order of

pieces

in the two suites

has

no

apparent

purpose.

Each

set

provides

several choices

for a

pleasing

suc-

cession

of

contrasting

works.


10/21

488 The Musical

Quarterly

The seventeen

remaining

compositions

for

one bass viol are

divided

into two

shorter

groups.

The first of

these,

set in G

minor,

comprises

a

prelude, allemande, courante, sarabande, gigue, gavotte, and minuet.

An additional

prelude,

in D

minor,

separates

the G

minor

group

from

the last set. The

latter,

in

A

major,

includes nine

pieces:

prelude,

boutade,

allemande

and

double,

courante,

two

sarabandes,

gigue,

and

minuet.

Twenty compositions

for

two

bass

viols

and

figured

bass

comprise

the

second

part

of Book

I.

The

first

suite,

containing

seven

pieces

in

D

minor,

offers

the familiar

dance

group:

prelude,

allemande,

courante,

sarabande, and gigue, with the addition of a gavotte and minuet. The

second

set,

in

G

major,

includes

the

five basic

movements,

and

a

gavotte

en

rondeau,

two

minuets,

a

fantaisie,

and a

chaconne.

The

final

work in

the

volume,

the

Tombeau de

Mr.

Meliton,

is

a

powerful,

genuinely

fugal composition

in D

minor.

At

first

glance,

it seems

evident

from

the contents

of Book

I

that

Marais

was

not

concerned

with

the

exploitation

of

a

prescribed

sequence

of movements.

In the

first two

suites for

one viol

the

order

of

move-

ments

appears

almost

haphazard.

Closer

examination,

however,

reveals

that,

although

the

traditional

dances

are

separated

by

other

types,

doubles,

and

duplications,

the

basic

principles

of the established

sequence

are

maintained.

The third

and fourth

suites

demonstrate

distinctly

this

adherence

to

general

practice.

The third

is

augmented

only

by

a

gavotte

and

minuet;

the fourth

by

a

boutade,

a

double

for the allemande,

an

extra

sarabande,

and

a minuet.

A similar

plan

is

used for the

two

suites

for

two

viols.

The

basic

set

of dances

is increased

by

the addition

of

extra

dance

pieces

or

character

pieces

of

a

special

nature.

A

tabulation

of

the

kinds

of movements

presented

in the

First Book,

with

an

indi-

cation

of

the number

of times

each

type

appears,

discloses

the

following

relationships:

Pieces

for

one

viol

Preludes

9

Allemandes

6

Doubles

4

Courantes 6

Doubles

3

Sarabandes

7

Gigues

7

Doubles

2

Menuets

7

Pieces

for

two

viols

Preludes

2

Allemandes

2

Courantes

2

Sarabandes 2

Gigues

2

Gavottes

3

Menuets

5

Gavotte

en

rondeau

2

Fantaisie

en

Echo

1


11/21

Marin

Marais's Pisces de

Violes

489

Rondeaux

4

Gavottes

3

Fantaisies 3

Gavotte en rondeau 1

Boutade 1

Paysanne

1

Chaconne 1

Chaconne

1

As the

tabulation

demonstrates,

the

content of

the suites

for two

viols

is,

in

fact,

almost

traditional.

The

sets

for one viol

provide

a

greater

variety

of

movements

and

a

more uneven

disposition

of the

types.

Solo

players,

and

especially

the

professionals,

were,

no

doubt,

in

greater need of a variety of repertory than ensemble players. The suites

for

two viols

were

conceivably

designed

for

amateurs,

or

teacher and

pupil.

As noted

above,

the

Basse-continues

for the First Book

did

not

appear

until

three

years

after

the

publication

of

the solo

parts.

In

addition to

the

figured

basses,

the

volume

contains ten new

compositions

in score.

The

first

eight

of

these

comprise

the

movements of

a suite:

prelude,

allemande,

courante,

sarabande,

gigue,

minuet,

rondeau,

and

fantaisie.

The ninth

work,

a

ground

bass

with

twenty

variations entitled

Sujet

et

Diversitez,

is

for two

viols

unaccompanied.

Marais comments

on

this

composition

as follows:

The

ground

bass,

upon

which one will find

twenty couplets composed

above,

was

given

to me

by

a

foreigner

for

making

all

these variations on

it,

which I have

taken

pleasure

in

working

out,

for

this

subject

seemed

very

good

to me.

It

changes

at

the end to B-flat

[G

minor];

the same

subject

is

always played

while

the

second viol varies all

the

couplets.

10

The work

is similar to

the

English

divisions on a

ground

which

are

thoroughly

explained by

Christopher Simpson

in The Division

Violist

(1659).1"

The last

work,

a

rondeau,

is

chordal

throughout.

Marais

adds

a

brief

comment

on this

piece,

too,

and offers a

justification

for

the

extreme demands it

makes on the

performer:

"It is

only

difficult

be-

cause of

the

abundance of

harmony.

But this

piece

and all the

other

10 Marais, Basse-continuis des pidces & une et & deux Violes (1689), Preface.

"Le

sujet

de

Basse,

ou l'on

trouvera

vingt couplets

faits

dessus,

m'a

est6

donni

par

un

Etranger, pour

y

faire toutes ces

variations, que

j'ay pris plaisir

a travailler:

car

ce

sujet

ma

paru

fort bon: Il

change

sur la fin en b

mol.

Ce mesme

sujet

se

joiie

tofijours

pendant

que

la Seconde Viole

varie

les

couplets."

"Facsimile

reprint

London,

1955.


12/21

490

The Musical

Quarterly

previous

ones were made

expressly

for those

who have a

very great

ability

on the

viol."'"

Marais's second collection of Pifces de Violes (1701) was dedicated

to

his

patron

and

life-long

friend,

the

Duc

d'Orlians.

Its

design

differs

sharply

from

the

plan

of

the

First Book. The

first

collection

had been

composed expressly

for

the bass

viol,

and

contained a

large proportion

of

works

that demanded

genuine

virtuosity,

as Marais

himself

had

stated.

Shortly

before

the

publication

of

the

first

collection,

Marais

had

been

appointed

to the

post

of soloist

in

the

royal

band.

The

compositions

of that

period

no doubt

reflected

his interest

in the

technical

resources

of his instrument and his youthful enthusiasm for the exploitation of

virtuosity.

The

change

of

attitude

in Book II

is

expressed

in

the

choice

of

short,

tuneful

pieces

and

in the admission

that

the

compositions

were

not

intended

exclusively

for

the bass

viol,

but

were

"appropriate

for

playing

on

all

sorts of

instruments,

such

as the

organ,

harpsichord,

theorbo,

lute,

violin,

and German

flute."

Moreover,

Marais

offered

special

instructions

for those

who

might

wish

to

play

the

tunes

from

the

pieces

without

bothering

to learn

the works

themselves.

Special

attention

was given to the figured basses, in order to make them more melodic

and

readily

adaptable

for the

several

instruments

that

might

perform

them.13

The

Second

Book

comprises

seven

long

suites, totaling

141

separate

compositions.

The

individual

suites

contain

as

many

as

forty-one

and

as

few

as

thirteen

pieces.

As in

the First

Book,

the

works

are

numbered

consecutively.

Only

the

change

of

tonality

and

the

appearance

of

a

new

prelude

signal

the

beginning

of

a new set.

In addition

to

the

tonalities

present in the first collection - D minor, D major, G major, and G

minor

-

Marais

uses

B

minor,

A

major,

E

minor,

and E

major.

The

disposition

of the

works

into

the

seven

suites is

as

follows:

1-41

D minor

Suite

I

42-64

D

major

Suite

II

65-82

G

major

Suite

III

83-95

B minor

Suite

IV

96-110

E minor

Suite

V

111-124 E major Suite VI

125-141

A

major

Suite

VII

12

Marais,

Basse-continues,

Preface.

"Elle n'a

de

difficult6

que

par

la

quantit6

des

accords.

Mais

cette

piece,

et

touttes

les autres

cy

devant,

ont

est6 faittes

expres

pour

ceux

qui

auront

une

tres

grande

habitude

sur

la

Viole."

13

Marais,

Book

II,

Preface.


13/21

Marin

Marais's

Pisces de

Violes 491

Each of the

suites

contains at least

one or

more of each of the

standard

movements-

prelude,

courante, sarabande,

and

gigue.

As

in the first collection, they appear in that order although they may be

separated by

other

compositions.

Additional

types

that

appear

most

frequently

are

minuet,

gavotte,

rondeau,

and

fantaisie.

The nine

types

account for

112

of

the

141

compositions.

The

remaining pieces

include

a

chaconne,

bourasque,

boutade,

folette,

passacaille,

and les

pidces

de

caracture,

so-called

"character

pieces"

with

descriptive

titles. Of

par-

ticular interest are

the four

most extensive works in the collection.

These

include

Folies,

thirty-two

variations on a

La Folia

theme,

which

compare

favorably

with

Corelli's

more

famous

set;

two

tombeaux,

one

dedicated

to

Lully

and

the other

to

Sainte-Colombe;

and a

fascinating polyphonic

piece

entitled

Fuge [sic]

gaye.

Surrounded

by

relatively

simple pieces,

these

compositions clearly

represent

the

major

efforts

of the volume.

They

were

obviously

intended

specifically

for the

bass

viol and for

performers

of

formidable

capacities.

The

following

tabulation contains

all

the

types

of works that

appear

more

than once

in Book

II,

and

the

number

of

times each

type

is

represented:

Preludes 14

Allemandes 15

Doubles

4

Courantes

10

Sarabandes 16

Gigues

16

Doubles

1

Minuets 19

Rondeaux

9

Gavottes

7

Fantaisies

6

Chaconnes

3

Tombeaux

2

Boutades

2

The

remaining single

works bear the titles:

Bourasque,

La

folette,

Ca-

price,

Ballet en

rondeau, Folies,

Cloches

ou

Carillon,

Paysanne,

La

Polonaise, Les voix humaines, Passacaille, Fuge gaye, Pavanne, La Gra-

cieux,

Branle de

village,

Echo,

Air en

Vaudeville,

with

Double,

and

La

vilageoise.

The third collection

of Pices de

Violes

(1711)

continues the

trend,

established

in

Book

II,

towards

short,

tuneful

pieces

that make

relatively

modest

demands on the

performer.

Only

six works out

of

a

total of 134

occupy

more

than

one

page

in the solo

part.

Marais

comments

on this

disposition

of

simple

and

complex

pieces

in the dedication

of

the col-

lection.

Addressing

the

general public,

to

whom the third collection

is

dedicated,

Marais

states that since the

publication

of

his second volume

of Pidces

de Violes

he

has

received

many requests

for another similar

collection.

Expressing

the

hope

that

this

third volume will convince

the

public

that he

has

neglected

nothing

in his endeavor to merit the


14/21

492

The Musical

Quarterly

approval

accorded the second

collection,

he adds

that the several

longer

and more

fully

harmonized

compositions

are

included

to

satisfy

more

advanced performers.

The third

volume

contains nine suites

for

one

viol

and

figured

bass.

Each

suite

includes

from twelve

to nineteen

pieces

which are

numbered

consecutively.

They

are

grouped

in sets

in

the

following

manner:

1-13

A minor

Suite

I

14-25

A

major

Suite

II

26-39

F

major

Suite

III

40-58 D major Suite IV

59-75

B-flat

major

Suite

V

76-91

G minor

Suite

VI

92-107

G

major

Suite

VII

108-122

C

major

Suite

VIII

123-134

C minor

Suite

IX

The

five basic

dance

movements are

present

in

all the

suites.

Each

species appears

once

in a

set,

except

in the

fifth

suite

which has

two

allemandes. The sequence of the movements is, in general, the same as

in the two

earlier

publications.

The first

suite,

however,

presents

a

fantaisie

in lieu of the

customary

prelude.

A

prelude

appears

as

the

eleventh

member

of

that set.

This

represents

the sole

instance

in Marais's

first three

collections

of

a

movement other

than

a

prelude

serving

as

the

first

member

of a suite.

At least one

double,

for

an

allemande,

courante,

or

gigue,

is

included

in each

set,

although

this

type

is

less

frequent

than

in

the

previous

volumes.

Special

titles

are common

for

the individual dances, such as Allemande la Gotique, Gigue L'incon-

stante,

Gavotte

la

Sincope,

and

Menuet

Fantasque.

Of

particular

interest

are several

pieces

composed

as imitations

of other

instruments.

These

include:

La

Trompette,

Menuet

la

Guitarre,

Menuet

de Cor de

Chasse,

and

Gavotte

du

goust

du theorbo

que

l'on

peut

pincer

si l'on

veut,

"Gavotte

in the

fashion

of

the

theorbo,

which

may

be

plucked

if

one

wishes

to

do so."

Marais's

fourth

collection,

Pidces

a

une

et

d

trois Violes

(1717),

is

the most diversified and, in this respect, the most interesting of the five.

The

composer

calls

it "an

attempt

to

satisfy

the different

tastes

of

the

public

in

respect

to

the

viol

. . . so that each

one

can find

here

what

suits

him

best."'4

The

volume is

divided into

three

parts,

each

devoted

14

Marais,

Book

IV,

Preface.


15/21

Marin

Marais's

Pisces de Violes

493

to a

separate

aspect

of

viol-playing.

The first

part comprises

compositions

for

persons

"who

prefer pieces

that are

easy,

melodious,

and contain

little harmony to difficult ones."'5 Six Suittes, so called by the composer,

make

up

this

section.

Each includes from

seven to

thirteen

works

of

moderate

difficulty

for one

viol and

figured

bass. All six

commence

with a

prelude

and

five offer

an allemande

as the second

member.

The

remainder

of each

set

is

filled

out with

typical

dance

movements

and

character

pieces

that

include

La

Mignone,

La

petite

Brillante,

Le

Basque,

La

Provengale,

and

others. None

of

the

suites

includes

a

courante,

a

type

that

appeared

frequently

in

the

suites of

the

preceding

volumes. The omission seems accountable by the characteristic poly-

phonic

construction

of

most

courantes

in the

preceding

collections.

Marais,

apparently,

avoided the

type

in order to

minimize

the

amount

of

harmonic

playing

in

these

easy

suites.

The trend

towards

simplifi-

cation

is further

manifest

in

the

comparative

rarity

of

doubles.

The

double, usually

the

florid

variation of

a

preceding

allemande,

sarabande,

or

gigue, appears

only

twice

in the

six

sets. The

most extended

com-

position

in

this section of

Book

IV is

the

chaconne

from

the third

suite,

but

this, too,

is less

complex

than similar

movements

in

the earlier

publications.

Character

pieces

comprise

a

large portion

of the

total

number

of

works.

Many

of

the

standard

dance

movements

are

supplied

with

descriptive

titles,

of

which Allemande

la

familibre,

Rondeau

le

Gracieux,

Allemande

l'Enfantine,

and

Sarabande

a

l'Espagnol

are

typical.

The

contents

of

Suites

II and V demonstrate

the

diversity

of

types

in two

separate

suites:

Suite

II

Prelude

Allemande la Guimbault

Allemande

la

familibre

Boutade

Gavotte

la

Favorite

La

petite

Brillante

Rondeau

le Gracieux

Suite

V

Prelude

Caprice

Allemande

l'Enfantine

Sarabande

la

Gracieuse

Gigue;

Double

Le

Basque;

Double

Branle de

Village

Menuet

Menuet

The

six

suites

are

set in

D

minor,

D

major,

F

major,

A

minor,

A

major,

and E minor.

Although

the

composer

avowedly designed them

for

amateur

performance,

his

description

of them

as

easy

can

hardly

be

taken

literally.

Generous

use

of

ornaments,

occasional

passages

of

polyphonic

construction,

and

specified

bowings

of

some

intricacy require

s15

bid.


16/21

494

The

Musical

Quarterly

a

performer

of no

mean

accomplishments.

Marais's

simplifications

lie,

rather,

in

the

sparing

use

of

the

harmonic

style

and

the

brevity

of

most

of the individual pieces.

The second

part

of Book IV consists of

one

long

set

of

pieces

for

one viol

and

figured

bass,

entitled Suitte d'un

goat Etranger.

Marais

describes

the Suitte as

composed

expressly

for advanced

players

who

do

not like

easy pieces

and who have

respect only

for

works of extraor-

dinary difficulty.16

This

concept

is

evident

in the nature

of the

com-

positions

and

in

the

virtuosity they

demand

from

the

performer.

In content and sequence of movements the Suitte d'un goat Etranger

bears

little resemblance

to Marais's

previous

suites.

It

includes

thirty-six

works of

various

kinds,

and the succession

of

movements

reveals

no

apparent

plan

in

either

the

choice

of movements or

their

disposition.

The

set

contains

neither

a

prelude

nor

a

courante,

and

only

ten of

the

thirty-six pieces

are from the

standard

group

of

dance

movements.

Some

of the

titles,

such

as

March

Tartare and

Pidce Luth&e,

indicate

that

they

are distinct

types

that

have

been transformed

into

character

pieces

by

Marais. Others, of which L'Ameriquaine, a playful rondo, and La

Reveuse,

a

lengthy

set

of

variations,

are

representative,

are

clearly

intended as

programmatic

works.

The Suitte

d'un

goat

Etranger employs

several

keys

and both

modes,

in contrast

to

the

single,

unifying

tonality

characteristic

of all

Marais's

other

suites.

The

arrangement

of the

pieces

in the

contrasting

tonalities

is as follows:

March Tartare

E-flat

major

Allemande

Sarabande

La

Tartarine;

Double

Gavotte

Feste

Champetre

E

minor

Muzette

E

major

Tamborin

E

minor

Gigue

Rondeau

Le

Tourbillon

La

Uniforme

L'Ameriquaine

E

major

Allemande

E

minor

16

Ibid.


17/21

Marin

Marais's

Pidces

de

Violes

495

Allemande

L'Asmatique

G

major

La Tourneuse

Muzette

C

major

Caprice

ou Sonate

A minor

Le

Labyrinthe

A

major

Chaconne

La Sauterelle

D

major

La

Fougade

Allemande a Bizarre

D minor

La Minauderie

Allemande

la

Singulibre

F

major

L'Arabesque

Allemande a Superbe F minor

La Reveuse

March

F-sharp

minor

Gigue

Piece

Luthie

Gigue

la

Caustique

La

Badinage

The

Suitte d'un

goat

Etranger

includes

many

of

Marais's

most

in-

teresting

and

challenging

compositions.

Each

piece

in the set

possesses

a

distinct character

and,

in several

instances,

requires

a

special

kind of

technique.

Notable in

this

respect

are Le

Labyrinthe,

for

its

modulatory

character;

Caprice

ou

Sonate,

for

its extended

two-part

formal

structure;

and

Allemande

la

Bizarre,

for its unusual instrumental

demands.

Most

of the works are so

clearly designed

for the

capacities

of

the bass viol

that their

adaptability

for

other

instruments seems

questionable.

Both

in

musical

quality

and instrumental

complexity

these

compositions

may

well

represent

the

ne

plus

ultra in

the literature for the bass

viol.

The final section

of

Book IV consists of two

suites for three

viols

and

figured

bass. The two

independent upper

voices are

intended

for

two solo

viols.

The third viol

ordinarily

doubles

the

bass line of

the

figured

bass;

it is

occasionally

provided

with a

separate part,

but

this

is almost

invariably

a

diminution

of

the bass line.

Superficially,

the

works

appear

to resemble those for

two

viols and

figured

bass

in

the

First

Book. The

earlier

pieces,

however,

offer

in most

cases

only

two

distinct

parts.

The

figured

bass

was added after

the solo

parts

had

been

composed

and was

derived

from

the solo

parts,

as Marais states in

the

preface

to the

Basse-continuis

of

1689.

However,

if Marais

expected

a

third

viol to

support

the

bass line in these

compositions,

as

was

customary

in

the

period,

the

earlier

works

would

employ

the

same

instrumental

forces

as the

pieces

for three

viols from

the

Fourth

Book.


18/21

496

The

Musical

Quarterly

The

basic

difference

between

the

two

sets

of

works

is

that

those

in

the

Fourth

Book

were

conceived

as

genuine

three-part

compositions,

while

those in the First Book are essentially in two parts.

The

two

suites

for three

viols

contain

the

standard

dance

movements,

with

the

addition

of

rondeau,

gavotte,

minuet,

and shorter

character

pieces:

Suite

I

Prelude

Allemande

Courante

Sarabande

Gigue

Gavotte

Petite

Paysanne

Rondeau

Suite

II

Caprice

Allemande

Courante

Paysanne

Gracieuse

Sarabande

Gigue

Gavotte

Rondeau

Muzette

Muzette;

Double

Menuet

en

Muzette

The

initial

movement

of

each

suite

is the

longest

and

most

complex

of the set. Both the prelude from the first suite and the caprice from the

second

are

extended

movements, consisting

of a

slow

opening

section

followed

by

a faster

one,

both

worked

out

in

fugal

style.

The

other

pieces,

with

the

exception

of

the

rondeaux,

are

simple

and

relatively

straight-

forward.

The

rondeaux

are

fairly

long

works

containing

four

refrains

separated

by

contrasting

material.

The

Fourth

Book

is

a

publication

of

great

variety

and includes

music

of

undeniable

beauty.

Its

contents

seem

well

tailored

to the

needs

of

the

18th-century viol-playing public, and Marais appears to have effectively

achieved

his

avowed

aim

-

"to

satisfy

the different

tastes

of

the

public

in

respect

to

the

viol."

Marais's

last

collection

of

Pisces

de Viole

(1725)

17

represents

a

return

to

the

plan

used

in the

Second

and

Third

Books.

All

the

pieces

are

for

17

In

the

record

reviews

of

The

Musical

Quarterly

(Vol.

XL,

No.

1, January

1954, p.

136),

David

Boyden

statedlthat

Marais's

Fifth

Book

of Pieces

de

Violes

was

published

in 1717

rather

than .1725.

This

understandable

error

apparently

resulted

from the addition of the former date, in a typically 19th-century hand, on the title

page

of

the

copy

of

Book

V

in the

possession

of

the Bibliothbque

Nationale.

Since

the

publication

date

of 1725

is corroborated

not

only

by

Titon

but also

by the

date

1725

on

the

Royal

Privilege

included

in the

Paris

edition

of

the Fifth

Book,

there

seems

little

doubt

that

the

appended

date

1717

appearing

on

this

particular

title

page

represents

an error

in

judgment

on

the

part

of some

enthusiastic

but

inaccurate

bibliophile.


19/21

Marin

Marais's Pisces de Violes

497

one bass viol

and

figured

bass and most

of

them

are of moderate

diffi-

culty.

Each

suite, nevertheless,

contains one

or

more works for

ac-

complished performers. The 115 compositions are grouped in seven

lengthy

suites. Individual suites

include

thirteen or more

pieces.

Each

set,

except

the

fifth,

commences with a

prelude.

The fifth

suite

replaces

the

customary

prelude

with a

caprice.

None of the seven

sets includes a

courante,

although

all the

other dance

types

are

present.

The

greater

part

of the

collection is

made

up

of character

pieces,

which,

according

to

the

composer,

were

in

great

vogue

at that

time.18

Again,

many

of the

dance

movements bear

descriptive

titles,

such

as

Prelude le

Soligni

(family

dedication), Allemande la Fiere (the Proud), and La Demoi Gigue

(unexplained).

Only

the

gavottes

and

minuets

consistently

lack

these

pseudo-programmatic

implications.

In the first

suite,

set in

A

minor,

the

dance movements

and character

pieces

are

about

equally

represented:

Prelude

la

Soligni

Allemande

La

Facile

Sarabande

La

Marine

Gavotte

Gigue

Menuet

Simple

Menuet

Double

La

Sincope

Petit

Caprice

Rondeau

Bagatelle

Fantaisie

Grande

Gavotte

Gigue a Mutine

Rondeau

Prelude

en

Harpbgement

The second

set,

in

A

major,

reveals about

the same

distribution

of

character

pieces

and dance

movements.

In the

third

group

the

descriptive

works

outnumber the dance

types.

Only

six of

fifteen

compositions

lack

some

kind of extra-musical

title:

Prelude

Allemande

la

bois

Guillaume

Sarabande

La Demoi

Gigue

Menuet

Menuet;

Double

Gavotte

Rondeau Paysan

Rondeau le Douceroux

Idle

Grotesque

Double

Les

Forgerons

Le touche du

Clavecin

Prelude en

Harpgement

Dance

movements

dominate the

fourth suite. It

contains,

however,

a

formidable

set of

variations entitled

Variations

sur

une basse

contrainte,

a

particularly

interesting

Fantaisie

et

Double,

and an

especially

charming

gigue,

La Fromental.

The

penultimate

work,

a

caprice

in D

minor,

repre-

sents

the

only

instance

in the

Fifth

Book

in which

Marais violates

the

tonal

unity

of a

suite.

18

Marais,

Book

V,

Preface.


20/21

498

The Musical

Quarterly

The

fifth and sixth suites

present

about

equal

numbers of

descrip-

tive

pieces

and dance

movements. The

fifth set includes the

composer's

elegy for one of his deceased sons, a gently moving work entitled

Tombeau

pour

Marais le Cadet. The

Rondeau le

Badin

and

Georgienne

dite la

Maupertuy

are

the

most

demanding

works in the

set. The

sixth

suite,

in

G

major,

offers

several

works of

extraordinary

interest:

Sallie

du

Jardin,

Le

jeu

du

Volant,

Le

petit

badinage,

and

Dialogue.

The

final

group

of

compositions

in Book

V is

among

the most

attrac-

tive

of Marais's

suites.

The set

numbers

twenty-five

pieces,

of

which

only

four are

without

descriptive

titles.

As in

the other sets

in

the

Fifth

Book,

most of the compositions make only modest technical demands, but each

piece

projects

an

individual

character

quite

without

parallel

in

Marais's

five collections.

Especially appealing

are La

Simplicite

Paysanne,

Alle-

mande

la

Bailly

Duchesse,

and

Resveries

Mesplainiennes.

La

Caprice

Bellemont,

named

for

a

violist-colleague,

Les

Relavailles,

and

La

Poite-

vine

represent

the

virtuoso

pieces

in the

set.

The best

known

and

possibly

the

most

unusual

work

in

all of

Marais's

five

publications

for

bass

viol

is

Le

Tombeau

de

l'Operation

de

la

Taille.

This

remarkable

piece

attempts

to depict the horrors of a gall-bladder operation, without benefit of

anesthesia,

experienced

by

Marais

around

1720.

A

running

commentary

in the text

indicates

the

details

of the

ordeal.

The

work

has

been

cited

as

one

of the

earliest

examples

of French

instrumental

program

music.'9

Les Relavailles

follows

L'Operation

and

presumably

depicts

the

joys

of

convalescence.

Marin

Marais's

five

collections

of

Pisces

de Violes

represent

an

ac-

complishment

of

great

scope

and

originality.

Historically,

they

constitute

the full flowering of an established French musical tradition, the culmina-

tion

of

an

art that

had

its

origins

in'

the 16th

century.

In

sheer

numbers

the

books

surpass

the

production

of

any

other

composer

for

the

bass

viol.

In

musical

variety

and

range

of

instrumental

expression,

they

stand

alone

in

the

contributions

to

the literature

for

that

instrument,

and

Curt

Sachs

has

stated

with

full

justification

that Marais's

books

of

pieces

for

viols

"form

one

of the

most

important

documents

in

the

history

of

French

in-

strumental

music."20

Hubert

le Blanc accorded

Marais

a niche

with

the

great artists of the period: "Corelli and M. Michel are the Bossuets, the

19

Curt

Sachs,

Our

Musical

Heritage,

New

York,

1955,

p. 212

ff.;

Sachs,

The

Commonwealth

of

Art,

New

York,

1946, p.

122.

L'Operation

is reprinted

in

Encyclo-

pidie

de

la

musique

et dictionnaire

du

Conservatoire,

ed. by

Albert Lavignac

and

Lionel

de la

Laurencie,

Paris,

1913-30,

Part II,

Vol. III, p.

1776.

20o

Curt

Sachs,

Notes

for

L'Anthologie

Sonore,

Vol.

VIII,

p.

12.


21/21

Marin Marais's

Pisces de Violes

499

FCndlons,

the

Demosthenes,

and the Ciceros of

music,

whose works

joust

with

the

pieces

of Marais

and

Couperin,

as

the divine

prose

of those

illustrious orators and prelates does with the poetry of Homer and

Virgil."21

Titon du

Tillet

did not

consider

Marais

a

genius

of the

first

rank,

and

in his classification of the

great

spirits

of France did

not

place

him in

the

company

of

Corneille, Racine,

Moliere,

and

Lully.

But Marais's

stature

nearly

matched that of the foremost creative artists of

France,

and

Titon

did

not

hesitate to

assign

him a

place

of honor in the second

tier

of im-

mortals,

together

with

Clkment

Marot,

Isaac

de

Benserade,

Philippe

Quinault, and Michel Delalande. Titon's judgment may have been in-

fluenced

by

the

memory

of

Marais,

the

virtuoso;

but even on

the basis

of his

music

alone,

Marais seems to merit the exalted

place

in

history

accorded

him

by

his

literary contemporary.

21

Le

Blanc,

Difense

de la basse

de

viole, p.

3.

"Corelly

et M.

Michel

sont les

Bossuets,

les

F~ndlons,

es

Dimosthines,

et les

Ciceros

de la

musique,

dont les oeuvres

font

assaut avec

les

pi~ces

de Marais et

de

Couperin,

comme la

prose

divine de

ces

illustres

orateurs

et

prilats

a

la

po6sie

d'Hombre

et de

Virgile."

Documents

Marin Marais's Pieces de Violes