Marin Marais

by Jean-Guihen Queyras, Alexandre Tharaud

Overview

There is nothing particularly surprising about playing Baroque music on modern instruments, something that has even enjoyed a bit of a revival; even Marin Marais once suggested that his suites for viol and harpsichord might be played on other instruments. Nonetheless, hearing the piano chime in at the beginning of this release by cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras and pianist Alexandre Tharaud is quite a shock in a way that hearing, say, Bach on the piano is not. Partly it is the difference in approaches between Queyras, who deploys the cello in such as way as to suggest the sound of a viol, and Tharaud, whose departure from the originals is substantial. Even more important than this is the fact that the modern instruments completely change the mood of the music, replacing the interiority of the French court with more contemporary forms of display. Reactions to this will necessarily be individual, but listeners may well feel that some pieces work better than others. The delightfully bizarre Tableau de l'Operation de la Taille ("Operation for the Removal of a Bladder Stone"), narrated in gory detail, perhaps makes less sense in a performance like this, while the anonymous solo Les Regrets, perhaps by Marais, receives a lyrical performance from Queyras that is quite compelling. Certainly, a bit of sampling ought to give one an idea of one's general camp and also a taste of Harmonia Mundi's fine sound from the Arsenal of Metz, which itself contributes to the startling atmosphere. That atmosphere, plus Queyras' rising star status, put this album on classical best-seller charts in early 2023. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	01/27/2023
Label:	Harmonia Mundi
UPC:	3149020946183
Rank:	105133

Tracks

1. Suite in A minor (Troisi¿¿me Livre de Pi¿¿ces de viole)~Pr¿¿lude
2. Suite in A minor (Troisi¿¿me Livre de Pi¿¿ces de viole)~Gavotte
3. Suite in A minor (Quatri¿¿me Livre de Pi¿¿ces de viole)~Musette
4. Couplets des Folies d'Espagne (Second Livre de Pi¿¿ces de viole)
5. Suite d'un go¿¿t ¿¿tranger (Quatri¿¿me Livre de Pi¿¿ces de viole)~La R¿¿veuse
6. Suite in A minor (Troisi¿¿me Livre de Pi¿¿ces de viole)~Fantaisie
7. Suite in A minor (Troisi¿¿me Livre de Pi¿¿ces de viole)~Grand Ballet
8. Suite in A minor (Troisi¿¿me Livre de Pi¿¿ces de viole)~Sarabande
9. Suite in E minor (Cinqui¿¿me Livre de Pi¿¿ces de viole)~Le Tableau de l'Op¿¿ration de la Taille
10. Suite in A minor (Troisi¿¿me Livre de Pi¿¿ces de viole)~Courante
11. Les Regrets (Suite in E minor, Deuxi¿¿me Livre de Pi¿¿ces de viole)
12. Suite in D minor (Deuxi¿¿me Livre de Pi¿¿ces de viole)~Pr¿¿lude
13. Suite in D minor (Deuxi¿¿me Livre de Pi¿¿ces de viole)~Sarabande grave
14. Sonate ¿¿ la Mar¿¿sienne~Tr¿¿s vivement - Gravement
15. Suite d'un go¿¿t ¿¿tranger (Quatri¿¿me Livre de Pi¿¿ces de viole)~Le Badinage
16. Suite in A minor (Troisi¿¿me Livre de Pi¿¿ces de viole)~Gigue - Double
17. Suite in A minor (Troisi¿¿me Livre de Pi¿¿ces de viole)~Allemande

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Jean-Guihen Queyras   Primary Artist,Cello
Alexandre Tharaud   Primary Artist,Piano
Guillaume Gallienne   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Jean-Guihen Queyras   Interviewee
Florence Bolton   Liner Notes
Cecile Combes   Interviewer
Jeremie Queyras   Cover Art
Olivier Rosset   Engineer,Mastering,Artistic Director,Editing
Gioffredo Cappa   Instrument Design
Irene Weber-Froboese   Liner Note Translation
Shinya Maeda   Piano Technician
Victor Toussaint   Photography
Marin Marais   Composer
Charles Johnston   Liner Note Translation