André Mathieu
Encyclopedia
André Mathieu was a Québécois pianist and composer. Mathieu was born in Montreal
, Quebec
on February 18, 1929, in the parish of Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur.
was a music teacher and composer, and his mother Wilhemine Gagnon-Mathieu was a cellist and teacher. Mathieu was fascinated by the world of music from an early age, and received his first music lesson
s from his father. Mathieu as a child was unusually precocious. He spoke his first words at the age of 4 months and took his first steps before seven months.
Rodolphe Mathieu was at first reluctant to teach his son music, and forbade him to touch the piano. This is because the senior Mathieu regarded music as a pauper's profession. Even so, Rodolphe Mathieu resigned himself to teaching his son music, because he recognized the exceptional talent in Mathieu. Mathieu began composing at the age of 4. At age 6 Mathieu gave his first recital of his own composition at the Ritz Carleton Hotel in Montreal
, Quebec
, on February 25, 1935. In 1936 Mathieu performed his Concertino No.1 for Piano and Orchestra as a soloist on the CBC network. He was later given a grant by the Quebec government that enabled him to go to Paris and study piano with Yves Nat and Mme. Giraud-Latarse. Mathieu also studied harmony and composition with Jacques de la Presle. In December 1936 Mathieu gave a recital of his works at Salle Chopin-Pleyel, and again at Salle Gaveau on March 26, 1939. His recitals were received very enthusiastically by the Parisian critics. They unanimously agreed that André Mathieu was a "little Quebecer Mozart". Rachmaninov pronounced him, "a genius, more so than I am".
Mathieu returned to Montreal for the holidays, but due to the outbreak of war he could not return to Europe. Instead, Mathieu performed in a series of recitals in Canada and the United States of America, and gave a remarkable performance at the New York City
Town Hall on February 3, 1940. He remained in New York with his family until 1943, studying composition with Harold Morris and fulfilling concert and radio engagements. In 1941 when he was not yet 12 years old, Mathieu won the first prize at the composition competition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. He also played his Concertino No. 2 for piano and orchestra at Carnegie Hall. Mathieu also played his compositions at a concert of the League of Composers.
In 1943 he returned to Montreal and gave numerous concerts performing Bach
, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt
, Debussy and Ravel, as well as his own works.
In 1946 he left Montreal for Paris to study composition with Arthur Honegger
and piano with Jules Gentil. Unfortunately the trip did not go as planned. Mathieu was disappointed by his teachers, bored and short of money. He felt lonely, homesick and vulnerable. In 1947 he returned to Montreal a changed man, tired and exhausted. He took part in Pianothons to break records at events. He also began teaching and continued to compose. During the following years he succumbed to alcoholism
. He married Marie-Ange Massicotte in 1960, but their marriage was short-lived due to André’s alcoholism and emotional problems. André died suddenly at the age of 39 on June 2, 1968. He was a prolific composer and left behind a wide range of music full of feeling.
In 1976 both the welcoming song and official theme-music of the Montreal Olympics
were arranged (by long time acquaintance Vic Vogel
) from excerpts of works by André Mathieu. The André-Mathieu Club was founded in 1942 at Trois-Rivières
by Mme Anaïs Allard-Rousseau to promote an interest in music among youth in the community. The club eventually became part of the Youth and Music Canada (YMC) or Jeunesses musicales
du Canada (JMC). In 1978 the Salle André-Mathieu opened in Laval, Quebec
as a dedication to Mathieu's talents and contributions. In 1987 a street was named after Mathieu in the Pointe-aux-Trembles district in Montreal. Another street was also named in memory of his great work, in Mirabel, Quebec, in 2006. The renowned pianist and classical music
activist Alain Lefèvre
has popularized several of André Mathieu’s works.
In 1939 he wrote two suites for twin pianos: Les Vagues and Saisons canadiennes;;.
In 1943 he wrote a third concerto for piano and orchestra entitled "Romantic"; an abridged version of it known as the Québec Concerto was played by Neil Chotem
in the Canadian film La Forteresse (in English, Whispering City
). His Concerto No. 3, which he performed in 1948 with CBC Montreal
orchestra under Jean-Marie Beaudet, was presented in 1977 in Tunisia by pianist André-Sébastien Savoie and the Tunis Orchestra conducted by Raymond Dessaints. He also composed a fourth concerto around the year 1947, considered by some as a more mature and original work, which is currently being rediscovered and has received its first integral recording in 2008 from the Quebec music company Analekta. The composer seemed quite attached to this piece; for a long time, it was part of the concerts he gave, and one of his last great masterpieces for orchestra, the "Rhapsodie romantique" ("Romantic rhapsody"), is an arrangement of its second movement.
Among Mathieu's works for piano and violin are Fantaisie brésilienne, a sonata, a berceuse, and Complainte. Mathieu's vocal works include Le ciel est si bleu, Hymne du Bloc Populaire, Les Chères Mains (1946), and Quatre Mélodies (1948).
Montreal
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...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
on February 18, 1929, in the parish of Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur.
Biography
Mathieu's father Rodolphe MathieuRodolphe Mathieu
Joseph Rodolphe Mathieu was a Canadian composer, pianist, writer on music, and music educator. The Canadian Encyclopedia states, "Considered too avant-garde for his time because of Debussy's influence on his music, Mathieu gained recognition too late to inspire the generation that followed." The...
was a music teacher and composer, and his mother Wilhemine Gagnon-Mathieu was a cellist and teacher. Mathieu was fascinated by the world of music from an early age, and received his first music lesson
Music lesson
Music lessons are a type of formal instruction in playing a musical instrument or singing. Typically, a student taking music lessons meets a music teacher for one-on-one training sessions ranging from 30 minutes to one hour in length over a period of weeks or years...
s from his father. Mathieu as a child was unusually precocious. He spoke his first words at the age of 4 months and took his first steps before seven months.
Rodolphe Mathieu was at first reluctant to teach his son music, and forbade him to touch the piano. This is because the senior Mathieu regarded music as a pauper's profession. Even so, Rodolphe Mathieu resigned himself to teaching his son music, because he recognized the exceptional talent in Mathieu. Mathieu began composing at the age of 4. At age 6 Mathieu gave his first recital of his own composition at the Ritz Carleton Hotel in Montreal
Montreal
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...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, on February 25, 1935. In 1936 Mathieu performed his Concertino No.1 for Piano and Orchestra as a soloist on the CBC network. He was later given a grant by the Quebec government that enabled him to go to Paris and study piano with Yves Nat and Mme. Giraud-Latarse. Mathieu also studied harmony and composition with Jacques de la Presle. In December 1936 Mathieu gave a recital of his works at Salle Chopin-Pleyel, and again at Salle Gaveau on March 26, 1939. His recitals were received very enthusiastically by the Parisian critics. They unanimously agreed that André Mathieu was a "little Quebecer Mozart". Rachmaninov pronounced him, "a genius, more so than I am".
Mathieu returned to Montreal for the holidays, but due to the outbreak of war he could not return to Europe. Instead, Mathieu performed in a series of recitals in Canada and the United States of America, and gave a remarkable performance at the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Town Hall on February 3, 1940. He remained in New York with his family until 1943, studying composition with Harold Morris and fulfilling concert and radio engagements. In 1941 when he was not yet 12 years old, Mathieu won the first prize at the composition competition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. He also played his Concertino No. 2 for piano and orchestra at Carnegie Hall. Mathieu also played his compositions at a concert of the League of Composers.
In 1943 he returned to Montreal and gave numerous concerts performing 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, 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...
, Debussy and Ravel, as well as his own works.
In 1946 he left Montreal for Paris to study composition with Arthur Honegger
Arthur Honegger
Arthur Honegger was a Swiss composer, who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. He was a member of Les six. His most frequently performed work is probably the orchestral work Pacific 231, which is interpreted as imitating the sound of a steam locomotive.-Biography:Born...
and piano with Jules Gentil. Unfortunately the trip did not go as planned. Mathieu was disappointed by his teachers, bored and short of money. He felt lonely, homesick and vulnerable. In 1947 he returned to Montreal a changed man, tired and exhausted. He took part in Pianothons to break records at events. He also began teaching and continued to compose. During the following years he succumbed to alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
. He married Marie-Ange Massicotte in 1960, but their marriage was short-lived due to André’s alcoholism and emotional problems. André died suddenly at the age of 39 on June 2, 1968. He was a prolific composer and left behind a wide range of music full of feeling.
In 1976 both the welcoming song and official theme-music of the Montreal Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
were arranged (by long time acquaintance Vic Vogel
Vic Vogel
Victor 'Vic' Stefan Vogel, LLD, PhD is a jazz pianist, composer, arranger, trombonist and conductor in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.- Biography :Born Viktor Stefan in Montreal, he studied piano with Michel Hirvy...
) from excerpts of works by André Mathieu. The André-Mathieu Club was founded in 1942 at Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières means three rivers in French and may refer to:in Canada*Trois-Rivières, the largest city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada*Circuit Trois-Rivières, a racetrack in Trois-Rivières, Quebec...
by Mme Anaïs Allard-Rousseau to promote an interest in music among youth in the community. The club eventually became part of the Youth and Music Canada (YMC) or Jeunesses musicales
Jeunesses Musicales
Jeunesses Musicales International is the largest youth music NGO in the world, created in Brussels, Belgium in 1945 with the mission to "enable young people to develop through music across all boundaries"...
du Canada (JMC). In 1978 the Salle André-Mathieu opened in Laval, Quebec
Laval, Quebec
Laval is a Canadian city and a region in southwestern Quebec. It is the largest suburb of Montreal, the third largest municipality in the province of Quebec, and the 14th largest city in Canada with a population of 368,709 in 2006...
as a dedication to Mathieu's talents and contributions. In 1987 a street was named after Mathieu in the Pointe-aux-Trembles district in Montreal. Another street was also named in memory of his great work, in Mirabel, Quebec, in 2006. The renowned pianist and classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
activist Alain Lefèvre
Alain Lefèvre
Alain Lefèvre, CQ is a Quebecois pianist and composer. He is one of the Québécois pianists who have sold the greatest number of musical recordings.In 2009, he was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec....
has popularized several of André Mathieu’s works.
Works
As a composer Mathieu's style leaned towards the late Romantic school of Rachmaninov, and his music was influenced by Debussy as well. Mathieu wrote many works for piano. Among the compositions of his youth are the Trois Études (1933), Les Gros Chars (1934), Procession d'éléphants (1934), Trois Pièces pittoresques (1936), Hommage à Mozart enfant (1937), and Les Mouettes (1938).In 1939 he wrote two suites for twin pianos: Les Vagues and Saisons canadiennes;;.
In 1943 he wrote a third concerto for piano and orchestra entitled "Romantic"; an abridged version of it known as the Québec Concerto was played by Neil Chotem
Neil Chotem
Neil Chotem was a Canadian composer, arranger, conductor, pianist, and music educator. His compositional style is eclectic but conservative, and often incorporates elements of jazz and popular music...
in the Canadian film La Forteresse (in English, Whispering City
Whispering City
Whispering City is a black-and-white film directed by Fyodor Otsep. The movie was filmed on location in Quebec City and Montmorency Falls, Québec, Canada in both English and French. A French language version La Forteresse, with different actors, was made simultaneously...
). His Concerto No. 3, which he performed in 1948 with CBC Montreal
CBMT
CBMT-DT is the CBC's television station in Montreal, Quebec. Programming on CBMT is seen on a network of more than 50 rebroadcasters throughout Quebec and in three communities in northern Manitoba: Brochet, Poplar River, and Shamattawa.-History:...
orchestra under Jean-Marie Beaudet, was presented in 1977 in Tunisia by pianist André-Sébastien Savoie and the Tunis Orchestra conducted by Raymond Dessaints. He also composed a fourth concerto around the year 1947, considered by some as a more mature and original work, which is currently being rediscovered and has received its first integral recording in 2008 from the Quebec music company Analekta. The composer seemed quite attached to this piece; for a long time, it was part of the concerts he gave, and one of his last great masterpieces for orchestra, the "Rhapsodie romantique" ("Romantic rhapsody"), is an arrangement of its second movement.
Among Mathieu's works for piano and violin are Fantaisie brésilienne, a sonata, a berceuse, and Complainte. Mathieu's vocal works include Le ciel est si bleu, Hymne du Bloc Populaire, Les Chères Mains (1946), and Quatre Mélodies (1948).
Examples
- [ Sonata for violin and piano ] Windows Media format
- [ Concerto de Québec for piano and orchestra ] Windows Media format