He spent his entire life in Paris, and the greater part of it in royal service. First appointed as Ordinaire de la Musique de la Chambre du Roi in 1685, he retained that post throughout the reign of Louis XIV and from 1715 to 1725 served under the Regency and Louis XV.
His contemporaries recognized him as an outstanding performer and a composer of stature whose works for viols and the operatic stage were known beyond the boundaries of France.
Marais was born in Paris on May 31, 1656, and died there on August 15, 1728. as a boy, he was a member of the choir of Sainte-Chapelle and in his teens studied the basse de viole with Hotman and Sainte-Colombe, both important figures in the early development of French string music.
Marais entered the royal orchestra as a soloist in 1685 and about the same time became a member of the orchestra of the Acadèmie Royale de Musique. In the latter position he played under the direction of Lully, who later became his teacher in composition. Marais spent the remainder of his life performing and composing, and also fathering nineteen children, several of whom became important figures in French musical life.
The instrument for which Marais wrote the major portion of his works is commonly referred to as the viola da gamba. According to contemporary, Marais was recognized as the greatest performer on the bass viol of his era.
Although Marais' operas, trio sonatas, and other compositions were widely performed during his lifetime, the most significant part of his musical output is represented by the five books of Pièces de Violes that he produced over a period of forty years, between 1686 and 1725.
These collections include more than 550 compositions for one, two, and three bass viols and figured bass. All volumes were originally published by the composer. The Pièces de Violes represent an accomplishment of great scope and originality. Historically, they constitute the full flowering of an established French musical tradition, the culmination of an art that had its origins in the 16th century.