La Gracieuse Pièces de Viole by Marin Marais

Robert Smith da gamba

Israel Golani guitar &

Joshua Cheatham viola da gamba

Olivier Fortin (1656–1728) Suite in A major Suite in F-sharp minor Marin Marais 1. Prélude [2:31] 23. Prélude [3:21] La Gracieuse: 2. Bout ade [1:39] 24. Allemande [2:56] Pièces de Viole 3. La Gracieuse [3:10] 25. [1:31] 4. à l’anglaise [1:57] 26. [2:17] 5. Rondeau ‘moié pincé’ [1:38] 27. Gigue [2:05] 6. Fantaisie [5:07] 28. Menuet [1:18] Robert Smith viola da gamba 29. Rondeau [2:10] Suite in E minor Israel Golani theorbo & 7. Prélude [2:44] 8. Fantaisie [0:58] Total playing me Joshua Cheatham viola da gamba [66:13] 9. Sarabande à l’espagnol [2:39] Olivier Forn harpsichord 10. La Mateloe [1:35] Adrián Rodríguez Van der Spoel percussion 11. Rondeau paysan [1:39] 12. La Biscayenne (Tambourin) [2:07] Instruments: 13. gaie [2:47] Viola da gamba: Colichon model, Pierre Bohr Baroque guitar: Aer Giovanni Tessler, Ivo Magherini Suite in G minor Theorbo: Aer seventeenth century Italian models, Klaus Jacobsen Viola da gamba: Barack Norman model, François Bodart 14. Prélude [2:20] Harpsichord: Flemish, Thomas Power 15. Caprice [0:50] 16. Sarabande [3:35] 17. Gigue La Chicane [2:08] 18. Plainte [3:16] 19. Menuet fantasque [2:02] 20. Fugue gaye [1:41] About Robert Smith: 21. La Georgienne dite la Maupertuy [2:10] 22. Fugue gaye (Double) [1:49] ‘Smith masterfully blends introspective sonorities with bold virtuosity, capturing the very essence of the fantasia genre’ Early Music

‘Whatever the mood, this is playing of exceptional quality. Robert Smith navigates each piece with clear-eyed musicality, always weaving a beautifully sonorous, coherent line’ The Observer Holding a passion for the music of Marin by Marais (thanks not in the least to the Marais is one thing, and deciding which film Tous les Mans du Monde) and they handful of his 600 Pièces de viole to record really do deserve their place in the hearts on an album is quite another. I started by of players. However, I think it vital to playing twice through all of Marais’ five keep looking for the forgoen gems lurking volumes of music for viol and basso connuo amongst the pages of Marais’ thick tomes from start to finish. This in itself was quite of viol music since there is so much to learn a marathon but it was also a journey of and be enjoyed from all of his music. discovery. It was surprising how clear it was to feel in my own fingers how Marais’ © 2019 Robert Smith wring for the viol changed from when he was thirty years old, to when he was La Gracieuse: Pièces de Viole forty-five, fiy-five, sixty-one and sixty-nine by Marin Marais years old – his respecve age when each of his five books were published. One can As a central figure in the French school of viol feel the vigour and impaence of youth playing in the eighteenth century, Marin in the earlier books from someone who Marais holds a special place in the pantheon was not afraid to take a difficult path in of French baroque . His name order to prove his skill. And how interesng now – as was the case during his lifeme – that, in the later books, the increasingly is virtually synonymous with the bass viol. wise appears to succeed in Together with his younger contemporary, creang sublime musical results with much , Marais represented the less effort. I got the feeling that somewhere pinnacle of the French school of viol playing, along the line Marais achieved a complete as the instrument was gradually giving way understanding (an enlightenment to Italian imports in form of the violin family. perhaps?) of how the viol works. In fact, only twelve years aer Marais’ death, in 1740, the viol was already losing the Through this survey of Marais’ output for bale, so much so that a French abbé by solo viol I was able to put together a the name of Hubert le Blanc deemed it programme that both reflects his musical necessary to publish a trease (Défense de la development and sheds light on some of his basse de viole contre les entreprises du violon hitherto less well-known composions. et les prétenons du violoncelle) defending Marin Marais by André Bouys (1704) There are a number of much-loved pieces the viol ‘against the enterprises of the violin and the pretenons of the ’! Comparing in order to profit from the master’s playing. the viol playing of le Père Marais, with that This did not last long as Marais was discovered of Forcroi [Forqueray] le Père, le Blanc by Sainte-Colombe and barred from his concluded that Marais ‘played like an summer residence. Regardless of the angel, and the other played like a devil.’ veracity of this anecdote, the two viol (Both composers fathered viol player sons players evidently held each other in high who also became famous: Roland Marais esteem. Upon Sainte-Colombe’s death in and Jean-Bapste Forqueray.) 1700, Marais published his pour Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe (1701) as a Not much is known about the personal life tribute to his revered master. of Marin Marais. Born in Paris in 1656, Marais lived all his life in that city and died Around 1675, Marais joined the orchestra of there in 1728. As a young boy, he entered the Paris Opéra as a viol player. He thus came the choir school of the St Germain-l’Auxerrois under the tutelage of the greatest composer parish, where he studied with François of the period in , Jean-Bapste Lully. Chaperon. According to Le parnasse Thanks in part to Lully’s support, Marais françois (1732), the biographical chronicle rapidly made headway in his career, of French arsts and poets by Évrard Titon earning the tle of ordinaire de la du Tillet, Marin Marais studied the viol musique de la chambre du roi in 1679. with Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe, the Having studied composion under Lully, greatest viol player at the me who has Marais published his first collecon of been credited with adding the seventh pieces for viol in 1686 and dedicated and lowest string to the bass viol. As Titon it to Lully. Aer Lully’s death in 1687, du Tillet narrates, Marais’ studies with Marais published four tragédies en musique Sainte-Colombe did not last long. in the style of Lully. Subsequent to the Apparently jealous of his talented student’s failure of his Sémélé, performed in 1709, advances in viol playing and fearing Marais gradually withdrew from public Marais surpassing him, Sainte-Colombe life while connuing his publishing dismissed his student aer half a year on acvies. He rered from his court the grounds that he did not have anything acvies in 1725 and died three years new to teach the young boy. As a result, later on August 15, 1728. Titon tells us, Marais used to hide under his master’s summerme pavilion, Hailed as ‘an incomparable French viol player in Paris, whose works are well-known all different orders and create custom-made any other piece on this recording. In line The Suite in E minor is comprised mostly over Europe’ in Johann Goried Walther’s suites. The four suites recorded here present with the freedom implied with the tle of of pieces from the fourth book but finishes Musikaliches Lexikon (1732), Marais is different stages of Marais’ composional the piece, the movement’s formal structure with a daunng ‘Fugue gaie’ from the second considered the most prolific composer of development. The suites are arranged blends aspects of fugue and . book – typical of the younger Marais for its viol music. Between 1686 and 1725, he according to tonality (A major, E minor, The opening A major secon exhibits density and technical difficulty. Although published a total of five books (livres) of G minor, and F-sharp minor) and contain almost all characteriscs of a fugue, but Marais probably never travelled outside of pieces for one, two, and three bass , pieces from all five livres. Marais’ soon the dark clouds cast by the A minor his milieu in Paris, the suite is replete with known as Pièces de violes. (Of the 598 composional style evolves noceably secon yank the music towards a references to foreign places and people pieces contained in these five volumes, from the early books to the later ones. passacaglia with an osnato lament bass of the country: ‘Sarabande a l’espagnol, 559 are for solo viol and connuo.) All His first two volumes are characterized in regular four-bar units. Although the Rondeau paysan’ (peasant rondo), ‘La five collecons were published in part- by dense textures and virtuosic wring return of A major breaks away with the Mateloe’ (a dance originang from books and included both pieces with oen involving double stops and chords, osnato bass aer a while, the regular French sailor culture), and ‘La Biscayenne’ tradional suite tles (prelude, allemande, whereas the later suites are technically four-bar phrase structure remains almost (a tambourin dance tradionally featuring gigue, etc.) and pièces de caractère (’Le much more efficient and feature more intact to the end. In this piece, Marais a prominent drum in duple me and Labyrinthe’, ‘L’Arabesque’, ‘Les Voix melodic wring in both the viol and strikes an admirable balance between referring to Biscay, a historical territory Humaines’, etc.). Each of the five books connuo parts. music of the past and the present – of the Basque region) all invoke aspects of solo parts (and the basse connue part deploying the harmonic idiom of the early of plebeian life outside of Marais’ familiar to the first book) is supplemented with a Fieen years aer the first book, Marais eighteenth-century while pping his hat circle. prefatory note (averssement) in which published his second book of viol pieces to the old masters of the seventeenth Marais explains the notaonal peculiaries in 1701, a volume dedicated to the century by using their favourite form. Dedicated amicably to ‘the public,’ the employed by him as well as maers of music-loving Duke of Orléans. third book was published in 1711. As performance pracce. The Suite in A major contains six pieces The most diverse and pedagogically-oriented Marais points out in his preface, the from the second book, preceded by a of all the books, the fourth book was abundance of short and easy pieces in The individual pieces of all the books are prelude borrowed from book four. In published in 1717, without a this volume made it suitable for amateurs. arranged into suites according to key. this suite, the frolicking ‘Boutade’ is dedicaon. The book is divided into three It is this collecon from which the major Marais’ suites oen depart from the usual balanced by the tenderness of parts: the first (from which most of the part of the Suite in G minor is derived. order of suite movements (allemande, ‘La Gracieuse’. Similarly, the brief E minor suite is taken) for ‘those who prefer The lament bass with which the ‘Prélude’ courante, sarabande, gigue which had and delighul interplay of pizzicato and easy, singing pieces with few chords to begins, imparts a lugubrious affect to the been established decades before him arco passages in the ‘Rondeau’ comes difficult ones’; the second for ‘those movement, indeed to the whole suite. by Froberger) generally with a greater in contrast to the varied texture of who are advanced on the viol…who do not The rhythmic vigour and contrapuntal number of pieces than is praccal to the unusually lengthy ‘Fantaisie’. like easy pieces’; and the third consisng finesse of ‘Gigue La Chicane’ reflects its perform in one sing. This leaves room Marais’ composional competence of pieces for three viols, which as Marais nickname – an eighteenth-century term for for the player to arrange the pieces in shines through in ‘Fantaisie’ more than remarks, was unprecedented in France. a dispute or argument sll used in modern day Quebec. An elegant and fanciful dance tles, hark back to tradion. ‘Menuet fantasque’ is then followed by its Marais’ character pieces that prevail in his ‘Double’ – a typically French designaon for later volumes of viol works are highly ornamented reprises. Harmonically conspicuously absent in this suite. as well as contrapuntally complex and experimental, the ‘Fugue gaye’ is perhaps Perhaps nothing concludes a discussion of the gayest display of virtuosity in this suite. Marais’ viol works beer than Titon du The character piece ‘La Georgienne dite Tillet’s accolade of the composer: la Maupertuy’, from the fih book, gives ‘one can say that Marais has taken the us some respite between the fugue viol to its highest degree of perfecon, and its ‘Double’. In this case the solo and that he is the first to make known all part of the fugue is le unchanged and its extent and beauty by the numerous the variaons are applied, rather excellent pieces he has composed on generously, to the furious bass part. this instrument, and by the admirable manner in which he performed them.’ The viol part of the first book was published in 1686. The basse connue part, however, © 2019 Siavash Sabetrohani was only published three years later in 1689. In addion to the bass parts to the pieces in the first book, the part-book included ten new works in the appendix, printed unusually in score format. The Suite in F-sharp minor is found in this appendix and is the only suite on this recording performed in its enrety—partly possible due to its relavely compact length. Marais, as we know, dedicated the first book of his viol pieces to Lully and seems to pay tribute to his late master in this suite. The ‘Prélude’ is composed in the manner of Lully’s so-called ‘French overtures’, while the following movements, bearing the most typical Robert Smith (viola da gamba) broadcast by BBC Radio 3, Deutschlandfunk Kultur and worked as a soloist for the Royal Robert Smith is a viola da gamba and cello Concertgebouw Orchestra. In 2017 Robert player from Yorkshire in the north of released of one of the first ever recordings England. Since winning the Bach-Abel of Telemann’s newly discovered Fantasias Viola da Gamba Compeon in for solo viola da gamba, which The Observer Köthen in 2012 Robert’s life as a reviewed as ‘playing of exceponal quality’. basso-connuo player and soloist has taken him down many interesng and varied paths. He has regularly criss-crossed Europe from his home Acknowledgements in Amsterdam to play with many leading ensembles and I humbly thank all the very kind people who orchestras. Robert is a member of the supported this recording through the Voor Amsterdam and with de Kunst crowdfunding campaign. Without his own ensemble Fantascus he has you, this recording would simply not be recorded crically acclaimed recordings here. Very special thanks are due to the for Resonus Classics. following: Klaus Tiedemann, Keiko Shichijo, Peter In music as in life Robert likes to get off the Oosterbaan, Chrisna Siegfried, Marn beaten path. His albums oen feature Seto, Juul & Frans Muller, Mary & Jim previously unrecorded repertoire such as Oppel, Marn Smith, Hugh Young, Bob the lyra-viol music on Tickle the Minikin Silver, Robert Huet, Marn Runnacles, and the virtuoso Jenkins duets, with his Misaki Yamada, Andreas Fallscheer-Schlegel, former teacher Paolo Pandolfo, on The Christopher Leather, Marian Boucek, Excellency of Hand. He enjoys exploring Jillian Johnson, Pierre Bohr, Josef Prochazka, different genres of music and working with Ferran Pisa Gaia. arsts from other disciplines. This has led I am also indebted to the great friends who to interesng performances such as gave up their me to support me praccally playing Metallica songs for death-defying x Giacomelli and arscally: Tymen-Jan Bronda, acrobats in historical circus tents.

Annelies Berends, Dionne Clow, Rie Kimura y: Ale

& Israel Golani. aph As a solo player Robert has had live concerts Thank you. ogr Phot More titles from Resonus Classics Joshua Cheatham (viola da gamba) taught harpsichord and chamber music at the Conservatoire de Musique de Québec, G.P. Telemann: Fantasias for Viola da Gamba From the treble viol to the ‘viole de gamboes and currently teaches at the Tafelmusik Robert Smith of extraordinarie greatnesse’, Joshua Summer Instute in Toronto. RES10195 Cheatham performs the challenging seventeenth and eighteenth century Israel Golani (theorbo & Baroque guitar) ‘[...] the expression which [Smith] brings to these attractive pieces together with a feeling for rhetoric repertoire shared by both melody and bass and an accomplished technique deserve to win many instruments. Whether in the viol consort Since graduang cum laude in Musicology friends. The sound is excellent and Smith has literature, the virtuoso works for solo viola at Tel-Aviv University, Israel Golani has provided an elegantly written introduction’ da gamba of Marais, Forqueray and Bach, or become one of Europe’s most acclaimed BBC Music Magazine (5 stars) orchestral playing, he has , baroque guitar and theorbo players. become a welcome member of the His skills as a connuo player have led to The Excellency of Hand: English Viola da Gamba Duos chamber music and orchestral scene in performances with many leading European Robert Smith & Paolo Pandolfo Europe. He is the recipient of the 2006 orchestras, including the Royal RES10186 Capriccio Stravagante Prize, founded in Concertgebouw Orchestra, MusicAeterna 1998 to recognize and support exceponal and B’Rock. Israel has featured on recordings ‘A delightful surprise […] their interplay is absolutely individuality and talent in the fields of of both Renaissance as well as Baroque wonderful throughout […] a huge smile on my face Renaissance and Baroque music. repertoire. His debut solo album, Raclerie listening to that again this morning’ Universelle, was released in 2013 and was BBC Radio 3 Record Review Olivier Forn (harpsichord) a result of a passion for seventeenth- century French guitar repertoire. More Olivier Forn is a harpsichordist in demand recently Israel has collaborated with as a soloist and chamber musician, touring renowned conductor Teodor Currentzis © 2019 Resonus Limited and recording throughout the world with in creang basso-connuo accompaniments è 2019 Resonus Limited groups such as Ensemble Masques, for Mozart’s Don Giovanni and La Clemenza Recorded in the Lutherse Kerk, Groningen, The Netherlands on 6–8 March 2019 Capriccio Stravagante and Tafelmusik. He di Tito. Producer, engineer & editor: Adam Binks Session photography © Resonus Limited performs together with Skip Sempé and Recorded at 24-bit/96kHz resolution Pierre Hantaï in programmes of music for Cover image: Detail from Flowers, Shells & Insects on a Stone Ledge by Balthasar van der Ast (1593–1657) two and three . Olivier Forn is the founder and director of the RESONUS LIMITED – UK Ensemble Masques. In 1997 he was [email protected] awarded top prizes at the Montreal Bach www.resonusclassics.com Compeon and the Bruges Fesval. He RES10244