# More like Marin Marais!



## PureRumble (Mar 20, 2011)

Hi all!

I like calm classical music. Now I know what you're thinking: "aint all classical music calm?"?

The simple answer to that question is a big NO! Beethoven may be classical but some of his symphonies are plain put too much, way too much. 

Now I've already found Marin Marais, truly calm and peaceful. I'm asking you if there are more music out there as his?


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2011)

Actually, what I was thinking at least was "say what?" Classical music is what we listen to all the time round here. I doubt that any of us were thinking "ain't all classical music calm?" Because, as you point out, it's not.

Indeed, very few individual pieces of classical music are only one mood throughout. Mostly classical music is a cornucopia of many things, any number of which will appear in any given piece. If you want "calm" throughout, you're going to have to rely on things like the _Adagio_ collections DG put out back in the day, little dribs and drabs of "calmness" wrenched out of their contexts and slapped together anyhow on a CD.

In their original forms, classical pieces are more about variety than anything else. That's what we were saying when we saw this post. (I hope the other esteemed members will forgive me using the word "we.")


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

PureRumble said:


> Now I know what you're thinking: "aint all classical music calm?"


Two terrible stereotypes out of the way... next?


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## Pieck (Jan 12, 2011)

PureRumble said:


> Hi all!
> 
> Now I know what you're thinking: "aint all classical music calm?"?


The biggest classical music stereotype. It actually pissed me off a little bit.


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

PureRumble said:


> Hi all!
> 
> I like calm classical music. Now I know what you're thinking: "aint all classical music calm?"


No, I NEVER think this. Because it's not true. the MAJORITY of classical music is NOT 'calm' or 'soothing'. Perhaps people who just want to be soothed should listen to Mantovani or James Last!


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

PureRumble said:


> Now I've already found Marin Marais, truly calm and peaceful. I'm asking you if there are more music out there as his?


Marais (1656-1728) was a composer of the viol. I can see exactly why you thought his music (presumably his viol music) was calm and peaceful, as the viol essentially expresses that kind of serenity. You could explore more works of the era. I could recommend you another French viol composer and near contemporary of Marais, namely father & son Saint-Colombe (their surname), though Monsieur de Saint-Colombe (the elder) is usually referred to.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

some guy said:


> Actually, what I was thinking at least was "say what?" Classical music is what we listen to all the time round here. I doubt that any of us were thinking "ain't all classical music calm?" Because, as you point out, it's not.
> 
> Indeed, very few individual pieces of classical music are only one mood throughout. Mostly classical music is a cornucopia of many things, any number of which will appear in any given piece. If you want "calm" throughout, you're going to have to rely on things like the _Adagio_ collections DG put out back in the day, little dribs and drabs of "calmness" wrenched out of their contexts and slapped together anyhow on a CD.
> 
> In their original forms, classical pieces are more about variety than anything else. That's what we were saying when we saw this post. (I hope the other esteemed members will forgive me using the word "we.")


You don't seem to know much/experience much of _viol consort music _referred to by the OP.


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## Guest (Mar 23, 2011)

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> You don't seem to know much/experience much of _viol consort music _referred to by the OP.


Why do you say that?

(Besides, you don't seem to know much about contemporary classical, but that doesn't hold you back!!:lol


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## TresPicos (Mar 21, 2009)

Delicious Manager said:


> *No, I NEVER think this. *Because it's not true. the MAJORITY of classical music is NOT 'calm' or 'soothing'. Perhaps people who just want to be soothed should listen to Mantovani or James Last!


Neither do I. Never ever.


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## Pieck (Jan 12, 2011)

TresPicos said:


> Neither do I. Never ever.


Especially you, you're a modern music guy aint you?
Mozart is more calm than Bartok I'd say


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## TresPicos (Mar 21, 2009)

Pieck said:


> Especially you, you're a modern music guy aint you?
> Mozart is more calm than Bartok I'd say


Depends on how you define _calm_, I guess. As a whole, Mozart is probably calmer for the mind than Bartok, but when it comes to tempo or loudness, I don't know.

Also, it's not always the calmest music that has the most calming effect.

OnT: I was also going to suggest Saint-Colombe.


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## Rangstrom (Sep 24, 2010)

Biber, Schmelzer, Muffat


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## Saul_Dzorelashvili (Jan 26, 2010)

PureRumble said:


> Hi all!
> 
> I like calm classical music. Now I know what you're thinking: "aint all classical music calm?"?
> 
> ...


Check out Mendy's Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage.

1.






2.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Anyone wish to explore more _consort music_?

*Alfonso Ferrabosco I* (1543-1588), an Italian musician serving at the English court of Elizabeth I, possibly even employed by her as a spy when he returned to Italy for visits. Intriguing. If so, then he may well have been one of the earliest musicians employed as covert spies in the history of music! He seemed to have enjoyed much esteem under Elizabeth I.

*Alfonso Ferrabosco II* (1578-1628), he above's son. Paid £26 a year as "musitian for the vialles", and was brought up at the Queen's expense when his father left England.

Rose Consort of Viols (on period instruments) on the CPO label, for instance.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I've just found out about this music coincidentally & HC, I would love if you could post some good youtube clips of Marais and others that you think would give a good grounding in this area (including some mixing vocals with viols?)...


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Andre said:


> I've just found out about this music coincidentally & HC, I would love if you could post some good youtube clips of Marais and others that you think would give a good grounding in this area (including some mixing vocals with viols?)...


I never listened to Marais off youtube; seems my experience with his music come from my CDs. I just typed Marin Marais at youtube and there's a tonne of stuff.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

@ HC -

Ok thanks for your reply. I'll have to get on youtube when time allows. I'll probably get back to you by PM concerning your recording recommendations in this field. I talked to a guy in a classical cd shop & he said Jordi Savall is definitely the best exponent of this art. I'm now doing some serious "downsizing" and have decided to stop buying cd's for a fair while. But Sydney City Library does have a fair deal of Marais and other viol things (incl. some played by Mr Savall & Gustav Leonhardt), so I plan to go & borrow some of those when time allows as well. Ok I'll catch up with you in private once I've had the chance to listen to some viol music. I'm fascinated now by this ancient stuff...


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Andre said:


> @ HC -
> 
> Ok thanks for your reply. I'll have to get on youtube when time allows. I'll probably get back to you by PM concerning your recording recommendations in this field. I talked to a guy in a classical cd shop & he said Jordi Savall is definitely the best exponent of this art. I'm now doing some serious "downsizing" and have decided to stop buying cd's for a fair while. But Sydney City Library does have a fair deal of Marais and other viol things (incl. some played by Mr Savall & Gustav Leonhardt), so I plan to go & borrow some of those when time allows as well. Ok I'll catch up with you in private once I've had the chance to listen to some viol music. I'm fascinated now by this ancient stuff...


Yep. Most of my Marais CDs feature Jodi Savall, who is a viol player above all else, and a fine conductor of early music.

Example, _Suitte d'un Goût Etranger_ (1717), viol suites as chamber music.









Or if you are really keen, an opera _Semele_ (1709), very much in the Lullyian style, not surprisingly as Marais studied under Lully and being French anyway.


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## hawk (Oct 1, 2007)

I have listened to Nima Ben David only on you tube. I enjoy her emotion...


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

@ HC - Thanks especially for telling me that Marais composed opera - I am particularly interested in anything by him with vocals (but also his purely instrumental stuff as well). I am a bit familiar with the "Concert Spirituel" group and their conductor Herve Niquet. If my memory serves me correctly, I heard them on radio about 2 year ago, in a recording of theirs of a Charpentier comic opera. I was listening late at night, thought I'd just listen to like 20 minutes or something before going to bed, but something about that music just grabbed me & I ended up listening to the whole thing. Anyway, I'll have to look in depth at the library catalogue, see what they have. I'll eventually get around to buying new discs again, I just want to take some "time out" so to speak (& also the money issue)...

@ hawk - thanks for the youtube clip, which I'll check out as soon as I have the time...


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