Marin Marais is one of the most important figures of the French baroque. At once a virtuoso on the viola da gamba, a composer and a teacher, Marais left behind a varied body of work that displays strikingly abundant inspiration.

Five Books of viol music punctuated his life. Published between 1686 and 1723, these collections for solo and accompanied viol not only offer a remarkable synthesis of the practices of the time; they also bear witness to the development of the instrument.

Marais’s frequently intimate music, a far cry from courtly splendours, calls up an imaginary world of light and shadow.

Atsushi Sakai has launched a series of recordings of this unique collection of pieces. This album, the first, is devoted to Book I, a transitional work that confirms the refinement of the ‘style François’.

Viola da gambist Marion Martineau and harpsichordist Christophe Rousset join Atsushi Sakai on this adventure, recreating the trio that stood out so brilliantly in their Forqueray and Couperin albums.