Alexis Contant

Alexis Contant

Joseph Pierre Alexis Contant (born November 12, 1858 in Montreal ; † November 28, 1918 there ) was a Canadian composer , pianist , organist and music teacher .

Contant had first piano lessons with his mother, a student of Emma Albani , then was a student of the organist and pianist Joseph A. Fowler and from 1875 by Calixa Lavallée . In 1883 he studied harmony, counterpoint and composition in Boston . Because of his uncontrollable stage fright at public appearances, he gave up a career as a concert pianist and was organist at the St-Jean-Baptiste Church in Montreal from 1885 until his death .

He also taught at the Collège de Montréal (1883–1890), at the Mont-St-Louis College (1900–1918) and at the Conservatoire National (1905–1917). Victor Brault , Claude Champagne , Orpha-F were among his students . Deveaux , Jean-Josaphat Gagnier , Rodolphe Mathieu and Wilfrid Pelletier .

Of his piano works, La Lyre enchantée , a "'fantaisie-nocturne" in the style of Chopin, enjoyed great popularity on concert stages and in salons. He composed four major masses and the first Canadian oratorio ( Caïn , 1905). His patriotic cantata Le Canada was performed in 1907, and the symphonic poem L'Aurore in 1912 . His trio for violin, cello and piano is performed frequently .

On Contant's centenary, in 1958 , CBC broadcast a concert with works by the composer from his long-standing place of work, the St-Jean-Baptiste Church, under the direction of Roland Leduc . In 1962 a street in Montreal was named after him. His estate came to the National Library of Canada in 1971 , which held an exhibition in Ottawa in 1979 and published the Alexis Contant Catalog in 1982 .

Contant's brother Joseph-Albert Contant (born October 1, 1877 in Montreal, † April 16, 1942 in Joliette), a student of Alcibiade Béique , worked in various cities as a choir director and organist and composed some church music. One of his daughters married the painter Georges Delfosse . His grandson Jean-Yves Contant (born March 28, 1918 in Montreal) was a long-time producer at CBC Radio.

Works

• La Lyre enchantée for piano, 1875
• La Cavalcade for piano four hands, 1883
• Mass in D Minor , 1884
• Messe brève en do , 1894
• Mass in B Flat , 1896
• Mass No. 2 , 1897
• Tantum ergo , 1897
• Meditation for cello and piano, 1897
• Vive Laurier for piano, 1897
• L'Angelus , 1898
• Fantaisie sur des airs canadiens for orchestra, 1900
• Romance for cello and piano, 1900
• Les Alliés: “Grande marche héroïque” for orchestra or piano, 1902
• Mass No. 3 , 1902
• Marche pontificale Pie X for orchestra, 1903
• La Charmeuse for cello and piano, 1903
• Caïn , Oratorio, 1905
• Le Canada , patriotic cantata, 1906
• Les Deux Âmes , 1906-09
• Musique for violin, cello and piano, 1907
• Trio for violin, cello and piano, 1907
• Mass des morts , 1908
• Messe brève en sol , 1910
• Trade fair
• L'Aurore , symphonic poem, 1912
• Veronica Overture to an unfinished opera, 1916

Web links

• Alexis Contant . In: Dictionary of Canadian Biography . 24 volumes, 1966–2018. University of Toronto Press, Toronto ( English , French ).
• Alexis Contant ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia .