Very little is known of the life of Jacques Morel (fl. 1700-1747) except that he was a pupil of the great composer Marin Marais, to whom he dedicated his 'Premiere Livre de Pieces de Violle'. The book that contains the pieces of this disc was printed for the first time in 1709, two years before Marin Marais published his 'Troisième Livre de Pièces de Viole'. Morel's music is, of course, very much influenced by that of his teacher, and the author not only does not hide this heritage but he boasts about it. However, Morel is a later generation and knows how to introduce certain very important innovations in writing for viola da gamba. From the instrumental point of view, Morel's music is closely linked to the French tradition, but you can see an evolution in his fingerings. Spanish Viola da Gamba player Alejandro Marías studied with Jordi Savall, Anner Bylsma, Christophe Coin and Jaap ter Linden. He is artistic director of the ensemble La Spagna, with whom he discovers and performs hidden treasures of the Baroque.
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