Sunday 24 September 2017
Tune of the Day: La Provençale by Marin Marais
from “Five Old French Dances”
This piece was composed by the famous French viol player Marin Marais. The viol (also called viola da gamba, an Italian expression indicating that the instrument is meant to rest vertically on one's leg) is an old instrument that was primarily used during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. It is similar to a cello, but it has six strings and it is fretted like a guitar.
As you may know, Provence is a maritime region in southeastern France.