This is a collection of viola da gamba pieces with continuo (theorbo or guitar and harpsichord) by Marin Marais, student of Lully and the elusive M. de Sainte-Colombe. Of his five books of viol music, the fourth, from the later and more experimental part of his career, furnishes most of the music on the disc. Actually "experimental" is not quite the right word; Marais was a conservative composer who burrowed into established techniques and found their hidden secrets. The fourth book is entitled "Suite dans un goût étranger," which given the titles of some of the pieces ("Marche Tartare") seems to mean "Suite in Foreign Style" rather than "Suite in a Strange Taste." The climax of the program and of the suite itself, however, is indeed strange; "Labyrinthe" (track 9) is a 13-minute essay unlike anything else in the Baroque literature. Its intention is clear enough; it is a depiction of a person lost in a maze and (not to spoil the surprise) finally finding his or her way out to the accompaniment of a steady chaconne. The blind alleys are represented by harmonic excursions that don't accord at all with Baroque syntax. Various metaphysical pronouncements have been made about this odd piece, but Austrian gambist Lorenz Duftschmid offers a lively reading that could easily support the contention that the work is meant as humorous. Duftschmid is in a somewhat upbeat mood throughout, clearly marking out dance (and march) rhythms and generally avoiding the atmosphere of mystery encountered on other recordings of gamba music from the period. The program concludes with high-momentum, sparkling renditions of Marais' two gamba "hits," Les voix humaines and Les Folies d'Espagne. Add in clear sound, a minimum of instrument noise, and nothing else in the way, and this disc gives an idea of why some people, performers and listeners alike, become fascinated with Marais and then totally submerged. Strongly recommended, both for Marais fans and for those looking for a first gamba disc.
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