Albertine Morin-Labrecque
Encyclopedia
Albertine Morin-Labrecque (sometimes Labrecque-Morin) (8 June 1886 - 22 or 25 September 1957) was a Canadian pianist
, soprano
, composer
, and music educator. Her compositional output includes 4 ballet
s, 2 comic opera
s, the Chinese Opera
Pas-chu, 2 concerto
s for two pianos, the symphonic poem
Le Matin, numerous symphonic
works, and compositions for band
. Her works have been published by a variety of companies. A square and a street in Montreal were named after her in 1984.
, Morin-Labrecque was a child prodigy
and began her musical training at the Académie de musique du Québec (AMQ) at the age of five. She gave her first public piano recitals when she was seven and earned her senior class diploma with honours from the AMQ at age 8. She notably was awarded first prize in music theory
in her academy class. She pursued further studies in piano privately with Romain-Octave Pelletier I
for a number of years. With him she mastered the standard piano repertoire.
In 1901 Morin-Labrecque began giving regular recitals. During the first two decades of the century she regularly gave recital tours in both Canada and the United States, and actively studied harmony
and music composition. She also taught on the faculty of the Conservatoire national de musique
.
, Morin-Labrecque went to Paris to study with J. Macaire (composition) and Arthur Plamondon (singing). She performed in several concerts in Paris and in Brussels as both a pianist in singer, before crossing the Atlantic again in 1920. She stopped in New York City to perform in a few concerts before making her way back to Montreal.
In 1922 Morin-Labrecque established the chamber ensemble Trio de Montréal with her sister, violinist Jeanne Labrecque, and cellist Yvette Lamontagne. From 1922-1951 she served on the faculty of the Université de Montréal
(UM) where she taught music analysis, pedagogy, piano and voice. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from the UM in 1935. She also continued to teach at the Conservatoire national for part of that time. Her notable students included Gérard Caron and Hector Gratton
.
Morin-Labrecque published two books on piano pedagogy, Recueil de modèles et de dictées musicales and Méthode de piano. During the 1940s she published several short essays and monographs on composers like Bach
, Beethoven, Chopin, Gounod, Liszt
, Massenet, Mozart, Schubert, Verdi, and Wagner among others. Many of her papers and original manuscripts are part of the collection at the Library and Archives Canada
. She died in Montreal in 1957.
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
, 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. Her compositional output includes 4 ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
s, 2 comic opera
Comic opera
Comic opera denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending.Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a new operatic genre, opera buffa, emerged as an alternative to opera seria...
s, the Chinese Opera
Chinese opera
Chinese opera is a popular form of drama and musical theatre in China with roots going back as far as the third century CE...
Pas-chu, 2 concerto
Concerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
s for two pianos, the symphonic poem
Symphonic poem
A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of orchestral music in a single continuous section in which the content of a poem, a story or novel, a painting, a landscape or another source is illustrated or evoked. The term was first applied by Hungarian composer Franz Liszt to his 13 works in this vein...
Le Matin, numerous symphonic
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
works, and compositions for band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
. Her works have been published by a variety of companies. A square and a street in Montreal were named after her in 1984.
Early education and career
Born Albertine Rosalie Odile Labrecque 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...
, Morin-Labrecque was a child prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
and began her musical training at the Académie de musique du Québec (AMQ) at the age of five. She gave her first public piano recitals when she was seven and earned her senior class diploma with honours from the AMQ at age 8. She notably was awarded first prize in music theory
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
in her academy class. She pursued further studies in piano privately with Romain-Octave Pelletier I
Romain-Octave Pelletier I
Romain-Octave Pelletier I was a Canadian organist, pianist, composer, writer on music, and music educator.-Early life and career:...
for a number of years. With him she mastered the standard piano repertoire.
In 1901 Morin-Labrecque began giving regular recitals. During the first two decades of the century she regularly gave recital tours in both Canada and the United States, and actively studied harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
and music composition. She also taught on the faculty of the Conservatoire national de musique
Conservatoire national de musique
Conservatoire national de musique was a music conservatory in Montreal, Quebec that was actively providing higher education in music during the first eight decades of the 20th century...
.
Studies in Paris and later career
Following the end of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Morin-Labrecque went to Paris to study with J. Macaire (composition) and Arthur Plamondon (singing). She performed in several concerts in Paris and in Brussels as both a pianist in singer, before crossing the Atlantic again in 1920. She stopped in New York City to perform in a few concerts before making her way back to Montreal.
In 1922 Morin-Labrecque established the chamber ensemble Trio de Montréal with her sister, violinist Jeanne Labrecque, and cellist Yvette Lamontagne. From 1922-1951 she served on the faculty of 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...
(UM) where she taught music analysis, pedagogy, piano and voice. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from the UM in 1935. She also continued to teach at the Conservatoire national for part of that time. Her notable students included Gérard Caron and Hector Gratton
Hector Gratton
Joseph Thomas Hector Gratton was a Canadian composer, arranger, conductor, pianist, and music educator. As a composer his music is written in an essentially folkloric and popular style which avoids harmonic sophistication. His compositional output includes several orchestral works, chamber workss,...
.
Morin-Labrecque published two books on piano pedagogy, Recueil de modèles et de dictées musicales and Méthode de piano. During the 1940s she published several short essays and monographs on composers like Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
, Beethoven, Chopin, Gounod, Liszt
Liszt
Liszt is a Hungarian surname. Notable persons with that surname include:* Franz Liszt , Hungarian composer and pianist* Adam Liszt , father of Franz Liszt* Anna Liszt , mother of Franz Liszt...
, Massenet, Mozart, Schubert, Verdi, and Wagner among others. Many of her papers and original manuscripts are part of the collection at the Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada is a national memory institution dedicated to providing the best possible account of Canadian life through acquiring, preserving and making Canada's documentary heritage accessible for use in the 21st century and beyond...
. She died in Montreal in 1957.