Alphonse Lavallée-Smith
Alphonse Lavallée-Smith (born April 17, 1873 in Berthierville , Québec , † July 23, 1912 in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts ) was a Canadian composer, organist and music teacher.
The son of Wenceslas Smith and Zénobie Lavallée, a cousin of Calixa Lavallée , attended Nicolet Seminary from 1886 to 1893 and studied with Octave Chatillon in St-Thomas-de-Pierreville. After three years as organist at Nicolet Cathedral, he went to Montreal, where he was a student of Romain-Octave Pelletier and assistant organist at the churches of St-Jacques and, from 1896, Notre-Dame .
From 1896 to 1897 he studied in Paris with Théodore Dubois , Eugène Gigout , Alexandre Guilmant and Charles-Marie Widor . On his return he became organist at the Church of St-Henri and teacher at the Collège de Montréal . In 1905 he founded the Conservatoire national de musique in Montreal , which he directed until his death. His students included Émile Gour , Germain Lefebvre, and Joseph-Élie Savaria .
Lavallée-Smith composed cantatas , sacred choral works, songs and patriotic chants, organ works and an operetta . A requiem from the year of his death was premiered at his funeral in the Church of St-Henri .
Works
- Cantate du Séminaire de Nicolet based on a text by Louis-Honoré Fréchette , 1903
- La Nativité , cantata
- Gisèle , operetta, premiered in 1924
- Requiem Mass , 1912
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Lavallée-Smith, Alphonse |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Canadian composer, organist and music teacher |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 17, 1873 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Berthierville , Quebec |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 23, 1912 |
| Place of death | Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts |