Composer: Marin Marais
Performer: Philippe Pierlot, Rainer Zipperling, Eduardo Egüez, François Guerrier
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Flora
Release: 2012
Size: 1.44 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
Pièces de viole, Livre 2
Suite No. 1 in D Minor
01. No. 4, Prélude (Lentement)
02. No. 5, Bourasque (Vite)
03. No. 20, Couplets de folies (Les folies d’Espagne)
Suite No. 8 in A Major
04. No. 125, Prélude
05. No. 127, Boutade
06. No. 126, Allemande
07. No. 129, Courante
08. No. 130, Sarabande
09. No. 131, Sarabande
10. No. 134, Gigue (Vite)
11. No. 139, Echo
12. No. 142, Fantaisie
Suite No. 7 in E Major
13. No. 111, Prélude
14. No. 112, Allemande
15. No. 114, Courante
16. No. 115, Sarabande
17. No. 119, Gigue
18. No. 116, Pavane selon le goût des anciens compositeurs de luth
19. No. 117, Gavotte
20. No. 120, Rondeau irrégulier
21. No. 124, Chaconne
The graphics for this album, which include two really beautiful drawings of artichokes but no information about the music at all, tend to obscure the main attraction: the third piece included from the Suite in D minor for viols and continuo, published by Marin Marais in 1701, is the so-called “Couplets de Folies,” a set of variations on the tune “La Follia.” Nineteen minutes long in this performance, it may be the least-known of the monumental Baroque variation sets, and given its date it might have been a sort of French rejoinder to the variations on the same theme in Arcangelo Corelli’s Violin Sonata Op. 5/12. Marais’ 32 variations are purely French in quality, with the ornamentation subtly sneaking in around the corners of the melody rather than blazing forth and proclaiming itself, and even the rhythms of the song are made to conform to French dances. It is perilously difficult, and viol players Philippe Pierlot and Rainer Zipperling acquit themselves very well. Pierlot is a veteran of the ensembles of Jordi Savall, whose performances of Marais remain standard, and the small dances on this release reflect that heritage. But he adds enough to Savall’s style — in the big variation set tempos are tweaked and the final pages are really breathtaking — to make the recording of interest to lovers of the French Baroque. And the artichokes, by Giovanna Garzoni (1600-1670), would make a nice centerpiece.