After a scientific training, he collaborated in the writing of various cultural newspapers and magazines (Combat, Jazz Hot, Arts, Les Lettres Françaises, L'Express, Preuves, Le Monde, Disques, Harmonie, Le Monde de la musique, Nouvelle Revue Française). He writes on current affairs, art, cinema, literature and lists new discographic publications. He was also secretary of the Ravel Foundation^[1] and compiled a catalogue of works by Maurice Ravel.

Marcel Marnat was responsible for programming at France Musique from 1978 to 1992 and has been working since 1990 with the Radio Suisse Romande-Espace 2. He was awarded the prize for music criticism. His book on Giacomo Puccini was honoured by the Académie des Beaux-Arts and received the prix Pelléas as well as a prize for musical biography of the SACEM at the Deauville book festival.^[2]

• Maurice Ravel,^[3] Fayard, 1986
• Haydn, la mesure de son siècle,^[4] Fayard, 1995
• Stravinsky, Éditions du Seuil, 1995
• Antonio Vivaldi,^[5] Fayard, 2003
• Giacomo Puccini, Fayard, 2006
• Publications about Modest Mussorgsky, Michelangelo, D. H. Lawrence, Paul Klee and Ludwig van Beethoven.

• Marcel Marnat on Éditions Fayard
• Notice biographique on WebThéâtre
• Marcel Marnat on France Culture
• Interview with Marcel Marnat (22 February 2003) on INA.fr
• Marcel Marnat at Diskogs
• Stravinsky et la musique française, intervention de Marcel Marnat on Dailymotion
• Joseph Haydn. La mesure de son siècle by Marcel Marnat (August 1996)