Albert Viau
Encyclopedia
Albert Viau was a Canadian baritone
, folksinger
, composer
, and music educator. After beginning his career as a musician in the classical repertoire, he specialized in folk music
and traditional songs. He released about 50 78 rpm records during his career, mostly for La Bonne Chanson
. He also recorded a few songs under the pseudonym Jacques Dupont, including Partons, la mer est belle, Le Soir sur l'eau, and Le Lac des amours, and recorded the song Le Rêve passe with the Canadian Grenadier Guards Band
for RCA
. Many of his recordings include his own compositions. During his lifetime he wrote more than 200 songs, many of them comic patter songs
, as well as hymn
s and two requiem masses
.
, Viau studied the piano in his youth with Arthur Caron. At the age of 17 he began studying singing
seriously. He received his early training privately and only later in life pursued university studies. In 1966 he earned a Bachelor of Music
from the Université de Montréal
and that same year was awarded a teaching certificate from the Quebec Ministry of Education. His teachers included Victor Brault, Arthur Laurendeau (voice), Conrad Letendre (diction), Georges Mercure (Gregorian chant), Oscar O'Brien
, Michel Perrault
, and Roland Van de Goor (harmony).
debut as Mercutio in Charles Gounod
's Roméo et Juliette
at Loew's Theatre in Montreal in 1931. From 1932-1934 he sang in Paul-Émile Corbeil's Imperial Grenadiers. For the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission
he performed in two series in 1934: La Petite Histoire and Le Chanteur de lied. For the latter series he collaborated with pianists Léo-Pol Morin
and Jean-Marie Beaudet
. He soon after began singing on CBC Radio
programs. He notably performed for 21 years on Le Réveil rural and 15 years on Le Quart d'heure de La Bonne Chanson. The majority of his recordings were made from the late 1930s through the 1950s.
Viau began composing his own works in the late 1930s. In 1954 he published Six Chansonnettes pour bambins et bambines and in 1958 Six Chansons enfantines with Éditions Albert Viau. From 1953-1954 he worked for CJMS as a radio producer. He served as the choirmaster at St-Sixte Church in Ville St-Laurent, Montreal from 1950–1983; also operating a private studio during those years where he taught voice, piano, guitar, and recorder lessons. From 1965-1985 he taught music for the Catholic School Commission of Montreal. He continued to give recitals in Canada and the United States and work with vocal groups as a director and arranger until his retirement in 1986.
In 2001 Viau died in Montreal at the age of 90. His archives are currently held by the Société d'histoire de la Haute-Yamaska.
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
, folksinger
Folksinger
----Folksinger is an album by folk singer-songwriter Phranc, released in 1985.Phranc's first solo LP fused elements of her punk rock past with acoustic folk music...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and music educator. After beginning his career as a musician in the classical repertoire, he specialized in folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and traditional songs. He released about 50 78 rpm records during his career, mostly for La Bonne Chanson
La Bonne Chanson
La bonne chanson is a collection of poems written by Paul Verlaine from the winter of 1869 to the spring of 1870. Twenty-one poems belong to this group, and are addressed to sixteen-year-old Mathilde Mauté de Fleurville, who he married in the same year .The poems are a proclamation of love, using...
. He also recorded a few songs under the pseudonym Jacques Dupont, including Partons, la mer est belle, Le Soir sur l'eau, and Le Lac des amours, and recorded the song Le Rêve passe with the Canadian Grenadier Guards Band
Canadian Grenadier Guards Band
The Canadian Grenadier Guards Band was a Canadian military band that was active for more than 60 years during the 20th century. In addition to performing for military events, the band had an active concert schedule which brought them to performance venues throughout North America...
for RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
. Many of his recordings include his own compositions. During his lifetime he wrote more than 200 songs, many of them comic patter songs
Patter song
The patter song is characterized by a moderately fast to very fast tempo with a rapid succession of rhythmic patterns in which each syllable of text corresponds to one note...
, as well as hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s and two requiem masses
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
.
Early life and education
Born in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Viau studied the piano in his youth with Arthur Caron. At the age of 17 he began studying singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
seriously. He received his early training privately and only later in life pursued university studies. In 1966 he earned a Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
from the Université de Montréal
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
and that same year was awarded a teaching certificate from the Quebec Ministry of Education. His teachers included Victor Brault, Arthur Laurendeau (voice), Conrad Letendre (diction), Georges Mercure (Gregorian chant), Oscar O'Brien
Oscar O'Brien
Oscar O'Brien was a Canadian folklorist, composer, pianist, organist, music educator, and Roman Catholic priest...
, Michel Perrault
Michel Perrault
Michel Brunet Perrault is a Canadian composer, conductor, music educator, and percussionist. As a composer, his work largely pulls on Canadian folk melodies and his compositions avoid modernism in favor of classical ideas of harmony and counterpoint. He described his own work in these words, "I'm...
, and Roland Van de Goor (harmony).
Career
Viau made his professional operaOpera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
debut as Mercutio in Charles Gounod
Charles Gounod
Charles-François Gounod was a French composer, known for his Ave Maria as well as his operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette.-Biography:...
's Roméo et Juliette
Roméo et Juliette
Roméo et Juliette is an opéra in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. It was first performed at the Théâtre Lyrique , Paris on 27 April 1867...
at Loew's Theatre in Montreal in 1931. From 1932-1934 he sang in Paul-Émile Corbeil's Imperial Grenadiers. For the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission
Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission
The Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission was Canada's first public broadcaster and the immediate precursor to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.-Origins:...
he performed in two series in 1934: La Petite Histoire and Le Chanteur de lied. For the latter series he collaborated with pianists Léo-Pol Morin
Léo-Pol Morin
Léo-Pol Morin was a Canadian pianist, music critic, composer, and music educator. He composed under the name James Callihou, with his most well known works being Suite canadienne and Three Eskimos for piano. He also composed works based on Canadian and Inuit folklore/folk music and harmonized a...
and Jean-Marie Beaudet
Jean-Marie Beaudet
Jean-Marie Beaudet was a Canadian conductor, organist, pianist, radio producer, and music educator. He had a long career with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, serving variously as a music producer, programing director, conductor, and administrator...
. He soon after began singing on CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
programs. He notably performed for 21 years on Le Réveil rural and 15 years on Le Quart d'heure de La Bonne Chanson. The majority of his recordings were made from the late 1930s through the 1950s.
Viau began composing his own works in the late 1930s. In 1954 he published Six Chansonnettes pour bambins et bambines and in 1958 Six Chansons enfantines with Éditions Albert Viau. From 1953-1954 he worked for CJMS as a radio producer. He served as the choirmaster at St-Sixte Church in Ville St-Laurent, Montreal from 1950–1983; also operating a private studio during those years where he taught voice, piano, guitar, and recorder lessons. From 1965-1985 he taught music for the Catholic School Commission of Montreal. He continued to give recitals in Canada and the United States and work with vocal groups as a director and arranger until his retirement in 1986.
In 2001 Viau died in Montreal at the age of 90. His archives are currently held by the Société d'histoire de la Haute-Yamaska.