More than forty years lie between Marin Marais' Premier Livre de Pièces de Violes (1686) and the Cinquième (1725). Despite the novelty of the basso continuo, the First Book is still the work of a composer who continued a tradition developed in France in the 17th century. The Fifth, published a few years before his death, is a moving and perfect testimony to a musical language that was also in its final years. The Second, Third and Fourth Books reveal not only the development of musical forms, but also the indescribable talent that secured Marais' position as the undisputed master of his art, which was inextricably linked to the spirit of French music of the Grand Siècle. Marin Marais' Pièces de Viole were recorded in their entirety and released in stages between 2014 and 2021. They are now being released as a box set to celebrate François Joubert-Caillet's appointment as professor at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis this year.