Made famous by the 1991 movie Tous les matins du monde, Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe (c.1640–c.1700) remains one of the most mysterious and fascinating figures in French music history. Even though there are notable gaps in his biography, he was undoubtedly one of the greatest viola da gamba virtuosos of the 17th century. Many of his pupils went on to make the French school of viola da gamba playing famous throughout the world. Sainte-Colombe’s works, however, are only partially known by music lovers. Paolo Biordi’s CD includes a number of première recordings of works taken from a manuscript that was found in Tournus (Burgundy). The programme also features works by Marin Marais (1656–1728), who was the best known and most significant of Sainte-Colombe’s pupils. Marais was noted not only as a composer of instrumental music, but also of opera.