Pierre-Aurèle Asselin
Encyclopedia
Pierre-Aurèle Asselin was a French Canadian
furrier and tenor
singer. Asselin came from a musical family; he was the brother of mezzo-soprano
Marie-Anne Asselin
and great uncle of pianist André Asselin.
Asselin was born in the town of Sainte-Famille
on Île d'Orléans
in 1881. He moved with his family to Montreal around 1901, and in 1903 he married Cora Laviolette in Notre-Dame cathedral.
appreciation. He was well received, and within a year had signed a contract with Columbia Records
. Under this contract, he recorded arias from French operas, various songs from operettas and other classical songs.
Asselin also gave live performances. In April 1917 he performed in the oratorio
Les Sept Paroles du Christ at the Montreal Cathedral. His first solo
concert followed that October. He joined the Sociéte nationale d'opéra comique, but it quickly disbanded. In September 1918, he appeared at the Cartier Theatre and the Orpheum Theatre alongside Blanche Gonthier.
Starting in November 1918, Asselin made recordings for the Edison
recording label. His recordings were released in several formats, including Royal Purple Grand Opera Cylinder Records 29000 series, the Blue Amberol 27000 cylinder series and the Edison Diamonds 74000 series of disks. Through Edison, Asselin released a variety of recordings of arias and other serious classical works. Asselin continued recording with Edison until December 1920.
In May 1921, Asselin resigned with Columbia Records. He recorded eight songs in New York
with them, which included arias by Donizetti, Godard
and Massenet, two duets with Guillaume Dupuis using contemporary melodies and a duet with Blanche Gonthier of Sur le lac d'argent by Fauré
.
Asselin made his last recording for the Brunswick record
company in 1929. Soon after, he disappeared from professional music and focused his efforts on his fur business. Asselin died in Montreal on December 27, 1964, leaving his fur business to his son Raymond.
1918
1919
1920
1921
1922
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
furrier and tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
singer. Asselin came from a musical family; he was the brother of mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
Marie-Anne Asselin
Marie-Anne Asselin
Marie-Anne Asselin was a French Canadian mezzo-soprano and voice teacher. She came from a musical family, being the sister of Pierre-Aurèle Asselin and the great aunt of André Asselin....
and great uncle of pianist André Asselin.
Asselin was born in the town of Sainte-Famille
Sainte-Famille
Sainte-Famille is a parish municipality in the L'Île-d'Orléans Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada, part of the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale...
on Île d'Orléans
Île d'Orléans
Île d'Orléans is located in the Saint Lawrence River about east of downtown Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The island was one of the first parts of the province to be colonized by the French, and a large percentage of French Canadians can trace ancestry to early residents of the island...
in 1881. He moved with his family to Montreal around 1901, and in 1903 he married Cora Laviolette in Notre-Dame cathedral.
Singing career
Asselin began a career as a furrier soon after his marriage. He would remain a furrier until his retirement. Asselin sang in church for some time, but it would not be until 1916 when he was 35 that he would make his first professional performance. He performed for Ladies' Morning Musical Club of Quebec City, a club devoted to classical musicClassical 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...
appreciation. He was well received, and within a year had signed a contract with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. Under this contract, he recorded arias from French operas, various songs from operettas and other classical songs.
Asselin also gave live performances. In April 1917 he performed in the oratorio
Oratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
Les Sept Paroles du Christ at the Montreal Cathedral. His first solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
concert followed that October. He joined the Sociéte nationale d'opéra comique, but it quickly disbanded. In September 1918, he appeared at the Cartier Theatre and the Orpheum Theatre alongside Blanche Gonthier.
Starting in November 1918, Asselin made recordings for the Edison
Edison Records
Edison Records was one of the earliest record labels which pioneered recorded sound and was an important player in the early recording industry.- Early phonographs before commercial mass produced records :...
recording label. His recordings were released in several formats, including Royal Purple Grand Opera Cylinder Records 29000 series, the Blue Amberol 27000 cylinder series and the Edison Diamonds 74000 series of disks. Through Edison, Asselin released a variety of recordings of arias and other serious classical works. Asselin continued recording with Edison until December 1920.
In May 1921, Asselin resigned with Columbia Records. He recorded eight songs in New York
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...
with them, which included arias by Donizetti, Godard
Benjamin Godard
Benjamin Louis Paul Godard was a French violinist and Romantic composer.-Biography:Born in Paris, Godard was a student of Henri Vieuxtemps. He entered the Conservatoire de Paris in 1863 where he studied under Vieuxtemps and Napoléon Henri Reber and accompanied Vieuxtemps twice to Germany...
and Massenet, two duets with Guillaume Dupuis using contemporary melodies and a duet with Blanche Gonthier of Sur le lac d'argent by Fauré
Faure
Faure or Fauré is a French family name and may refer to:People:* Edgar Faure, French politician* Élie Faure, French art historian and essayist* Émile Alphonse Faure, lead battery pioneer* Cédric Fauré, French football striker...
.
Asselin made his last recording for the Brunswick record
Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records is a United States based record label. The label is currently distributed by E1 Entertainment.-From 1916:Records under the "Brunswick" label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company...
company in 1929. Soon after, he disappeared from professional music and focused his efforts on his fur business. Asselin died in Montreal on December 27, 1964, leaving his fur business to his son Raymond.
Recordings
1917- Columbia 3069 Side A: Aime-moi by Bemberg (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (3:27) Side B: Noël du mariage by Choudens (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (3:13)
- Columbia E3203 Side A: À l'inconnue by Cécile ChaminadeCécile ChaminadeCécile Louise Stéphanie Chaminade was a French composer and pianist.-Biography:Born in Paris, she studied at first with her mother, then with Félix Le Couppey, Marie Gabriel Augustin Savard, Martin Pierre Marsick and Benjamin Godard, but not officially, since her father disapproved of her musical...
(Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (3:30) Side B: Madrigal by Cécile Chaminade (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (3:12)
- Columbia E3213 Side A: Priez, aimez, chantez by Gregh (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (3:10) Side B: Tu me dirais by ChaminadeChaminadeChaminade can refer to:*William Joseph Chaminade*Cécile Chaminade, French composer and pianist*Chaminade University of Honolulu*Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York...
(Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (2:50)
1918
- Columbia E3454 Side A: Ouvre à l'amour (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (3:32) Side B: Ivresse d'oiseaux (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (3:18)
- Columbia E3701 Side A: L'adieu du matin by Pessard (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (3:15) Side B: Crédo by FaureFaureFaure or Fauré is a French family name and may refer to:People:* Edgar Faure, French politician* Élie Faure, French art historian and essayist* Émile Alphonse Faure, lead battery pioneer* Cédric Fauré, French football striker...
(Bass solo in French by J.M. Magnan, with orchestra) (3:26)
- Edison Blue Amberol 27182 Cantique de Noël by Adolphe AdamAdolphe AdamAdolphe Charles Adam was a French composer and music critic. A prolific composer of operas and ballets, he is best known today for his ballets Giselle and Le corsaire , his operas Le postillon de Lonjumeau , Le toréador and Si j'étais roi , and his Christmas...
(Tenor solo in French, with orchestra)
- Edison Blue Amberol 27183 Madrigal by Cécile ChaminadeCécile ChaminadeCécile Louise Stéphanie Chaminade was a French composer and pianist.-Biography:Born in Paris, she studied at first with her mother, then with Félix Le Couppey, Marie Gabriel Augustin Savard, Martin Pierre Marsick and Benjamin Godard, but not officially, since her father disapproved of her musical...
(Tenor solo in French, with orchestra)
1919
- Edison Blue Amberol 27185 O salutaris by Théodore SaloméThéodore SaloméThéodore-César Salomé was a French organist and composer.-Biography:Théodore Salomé was born in Paris. He completed all of his musical studies at the Conservatoire de Paris, under the tutelage of François Bazin for harmony and accompaniment, and François Benoist for organ...
(Tenor solo in Latin, with orchestra)
- Edison Blue Amberol 27184 L'adieu du matin by Emile PessardEmile PessardÉmile Louis Fortuné Pessard was a French composer.He studied at the Paris Conservatoire where he won 1st prize in Harmony. In 1866 he won the Grand Prix de Rome with his cantata Dalila which was performed at the Paris Opera on February 21, 1867...
and Louis GreghLouis GreghLouis Gregh was a French composer and music publisher.His family was of Maltese origin...
(Tenor solo in French, with orchestra)
1920
- Edison Royal Purple Amberol: 29055 Ah! leve-toi, soleil! from Roméo et JulietteRoméo et JulietteRoméo 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...
by Charles GounodCharles GounodCharles-François Gounod was a French composer, known for his Ave Maria as well as his operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette.-Biography:...
1921
- E7183 Columbia Side A: Berceuse from the opera JocelynJocelyn (opera)Jocelyn is a four-act opera by Benjamin Godard, set to a French libretto by Paul Armand Silvestre and the famous tenor Victor Capoul. Taken from the poem by Alphonse de Lamartine, the action takes place in Grenoble and the surrounding mountains during Corpus Christi at the close of the 18th century...
(Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (2:34) Side B: Sur les bords de la Riviera (Tenor in French, with Baritone Guillaume Dupuis and orchestra) (2:53)
- E7195 Columbia Side A: Ah fuyez, douce image from ManonManonManon is an opéra comique in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel L’histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut by the Abbé Prévost...
by Massenet (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (2:56) Side B: Ange si pur from La favoriteLa favoriteLa favorite is an opera in four acts by Gaetano Donizetti to a French-language libretto by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Vaëz, based on the play Le comte de Comminges by Baculard d'Arnaud...
by Donizetti (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (2:46)
1922
- E7208 Columbia Side A: Sur le lac d'argent by FauréFaureFaure or Fauré is a French family name and may refer to:People:* Edgar Faure, French politician* Élie Faure, French art historian and essayist* Émile Alphonse Faure, lead battery pioneer* Cédric Fauré, French football striker...
(Tenor in French, with Soprano Blanche Gauthier, and orchestra) (3:04) Side B: Pour toi by Codini and Courtioux (Tenor solo in French, and orchestra) (3:14)