One of the most important representatives of the French Baroque style,  Marin Marais(1656-1728) was a virtuoso gamba player (Fr. viole, It. viola da gamba or gamba in short,  Eng.  violor commonly used  gamba). SainteColombe, with whom he studied in his youth, is believed to have said that he had students who surpassed him but Marais would never have pupils who would surpass their master. Like  François Couperin, Antoine Forqueray, and  Jean-Baptiste Lully,  Maraiswas employed by the French King Louis XIV. His rank was  Ordinaire de la Musique de la Chambre du Roi,in other words Staff Musician in the Chamber of the King.While holding this court position he studied composition with Lully who becamehis mentor. Marais wrote most of his instrumental works for one, two or three viols and continuo. He published...