Quebec fiddle
Encyclopedia
Quebec fiddle is a part of the Old time fiddle
canon and is influential in New England and Northwest fiddle
styles.
was often the only available accompaniment, and, much like the aboriginal Metis fiddle
style, percussive and rhythmic playing is notably developed in this style. As with the French-speaking Cajun fiddle
style, German button accordion created a fad which temporarily influenced the form, as did the eventual introduction of piano in the urban center Montreal.
, Canadian
and Oldtime fiddle, but with the addition of French-derived chanson
. However, the interpretation is quite different. For example, Lisa Ornstein's treatment of The Devil's Dream
(Reel du Diable) emphasized double stop and rhythmic ornament seldom found in US interpretations.
This style is also demonstrated in a rare 2011 performance by Kevin Burke in which he plays three reels from Quebec (Reel de Napolean, Reel en Sol (Reel in G), and Guy Thomas). The inimitable Kevin Burke plays three reels from Quebec in a rare solo performance at An Beal Bocht, Bronx, NYC on April 13, 2011: Reel de Napolean, Reel en Sol (Reel in G), and Guy Thomas.
Quebec fiddle is a part of the Old time fiddle
canon and is influential in New England and Northwest fiddle
styles.
was often the only available accompaniment, and, much like the aboriginal Metis fiddle
style, percussive and rhythmic playing is notably developed in this style. As with the French-speaking Cajun fiddle
style, German button accordion created a fad which temporarily influenced the form, as did the eventual introduction of piano in the urban center Montreal.
, Canadian
and Oldtime fiddle, but with the addition of French-derived chanson
. However, the interpretation is quite different. For example, Lisa Ornstein's treatment of The Devil's Dream
(Reel du Diable) emphasized double stop and rhythmic ornament seldom found in US interpretations.
This style is also demonstrated in a rare 2011 performance by Kevin Burke in which he plays three reels from Quebec (Reel de Napolean, Reel en Sol (Reel in G), and Guy Thomas). The inimitable Kevin Burke plays three reels from Quebec in a rare solo performance at An Beal Bocht, Bronx, NYC on April 13, 2011: Reel de Napolean, Reel en Sol (Reel in G), and Guy Thomas.
Quebec fiddle is a part of the Old time fiddle
canon and is influential in New England and Northwest fiddle
styles.
was often the only available accompaniment, and, much like the aboriginal Metis fiddle
style, percussive and rhythmic playing is notably developed in this style. As with the French-speaking Cajun fiddle
style, German button accordion created a fad which temporarily influenced the form, as did the eventual introduction of piano in the urban center Montreal.
, Canadian
and Oldtime fiddle, but with the addition of French-derived chanson
. However, the interpretation is quite different. For example, Lisa Ornstein's treatment of The Devil's Dream
(Reel du Diable) emphasized double stop and rhythmic ornament seldom found in US interpretations.
This style is also demonstrated in a rare 2011 performance by Kevin Burke in which he plays three reels from Quebec (Reel de Napolean, Reel en Sol (Reel in G), and Guy Thomas). The inimitable Kevin Burke plays three reels from Quebec in a rare solo performance at An Beal Bocht, Bronx, NYC on April 13, 2011: Reel de Napolean, Reel en Sol (Reel in G), and Guy Thomas.
He also recorded this set with Celtic Fiddle Festival on their 2008 CD Equinox.
The percussive use of footwork, however, is not limited to the First Nations musicians. Fiddle music, in general, lends itself well to group playing and percussive use of feet and hands, as in the performance of La Turlette at Kyneton, central Victoria, where the Celtic Southern Cross Summer School produced this ethnomusicologically notableclip.
Joseph Allard
(February 1, 1873 – November 14, 1947) was an enormously influential Quebec fiddler
who made many popular recordings earning him the title The Prince of Fiddlers. His family lived in Quebec
when he was quite young. Allard's father was a violoneux, and, when Allard reached the age of nine, he began formal fiddle instruction.
Allard remained in Quebec until the age of sixteen at which time he moved back to the United States. He entered fiddling competitions throughout New England
, winning in Massachusetts
, New Hampshire
, Rhode Island
and Connecticut
. Scottish
and Irish
musicians he met through his travels taught him a number of Real
s and Gigue
s.
He continued to travel and play in the United States until 1917 when he returned to Canada and settled near Montreal
. Allard was one of five fiddlers to represent Quebec at a worldwide competition held in Lewiston
, Maine
in 1926 alongside Johnny Boivin, A. S. Lavallée, Médard Bourgie and Ferdinand Boivin. In 1928, Victor's Bluebird label contracted him to make recordings for them. He went on to produce 75 78
s in his career and would record six more under the pseudonym Maxime Toupin. Allard was one of the first French Canadian
s fiddlers to record commercially. Apart from traditional songs, Allard also wrote around sixty songs of his own.
(December 7 1916, Lévis
- February 16 1988, Montreal
) is perhaps the most famous Québécois fiddler
since Allard. He started to play violin at the age of four, and, at age seven, his familiy moved to Montreal
. Joseph Allard eventually became his role model after he heard one of Allard's recordings which whom Carignan began studying in 1926. He also learned the repertories from the Irish fiddler Michael Coleman
, from whom he received most of his stylistic influence, and from Scotch fiddle player James Scott Skinner
. Carignan's other major influences included Louis Boudreault, Yehudi Menuhin
and Henryk Szeryng
.
In 1976, Carignan released Jean Carignan rend hommage à Joseph Allard, a tribute album to Allard.
Daniel and Louis-Simon Lemieux
Old time fiddle
Old time fiddle is a genre of American folk music. "Old time fiddle tunes" may be played on fiddle, banjo or other instruments but are nevertheless called "fiddle tunes". The genre has European origins and traces from the colonization of North America by immigrants from England, France, Germany,...
canon and is influential in New England and Northwest fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
styles.
History and Development
According to Reiner and Anick, the affinity between Anglo-Celtic and French fiddle music dates to the 1600s. Solo style predominated in the rugged frontier land where a small fiddle could be easily managed. Thus, cross tunings, drone notes and complex rhythms evolved to fill the gaps left in unaccompanied playing and this resulted in a highly developed style. CloggingClogging
Clogging is a type of folk dance with roots in traditional European dancing, early African-American dance, and traditional Cherokee dance in which the dancer's footwear is used musically by striking the heel, the toe, or both in unison against a floor or each other to create audible percussive...
was often the only available accompaniment, and, much like the aboriginal Metis fiddle
Métis fiddle
Métis fiddle is the style with which the Métis of Canada and Métis in the northern parts of the US have developed to play the violin in folk ensemble and solo. It is marked by percussive use of the bow and percussive accompaniment such as spoon percussion. The Meti people themselves blend First...
style, percussive and rhythmic playing is notably developed in this style. As with the French-speaking Cajun fiddle
Cajun fiddle
Cajun fiddle music is a part of the American fiddle music canon. It is derived from the music of southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas, as well as sharing repertoire from the Quebec and Cape Breton traditions...
style, German button accordion created a fad which temporarily influenced the form, as did the eventual introduction of piano in the urban center Montreal.
Repertoire and Style
The repertoire is, in some respects, generally the same as that of AmericanAmerican fiddle
This page is about fiddle music in the USA. For other North American styles, see Fiddle#Fiddling_styles.American fiddle playing began with the early settlers who found that the small viol family instruments were portable and rugged. According to Ron Yule, "John Utie, a 1620 immigrant, settled in...
, Canadian
Canadian fiddle
Canadian fiddle is the aggregate body of tunes, styles and musicians engaging the traditional folk music of Canada on the fiddle. It is an integral extension of the Anglo-Celtic and Québécois Frenchfolk music tradition but has distinct features found only in the Western hemisphere Due to...
and Oldtime fiddle, but with the addition of French-derived chanson
Chanson
A chanson is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specialising in chansons is known as a "chanteur" or "chanteuse" ; a collection of chansons, especially from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, is also known as a chansonnier.-Chanson de geste:The...
. However, the interpretation is quite different. For example, Lisa Ornstein's treatment of The Devil's Dream
The Devil's Dream
"The Devil's Dream" is an old fiddle tune of unknown origins. Played as either a jig or a reel, it is attested to as a popular tune from at least 1834 in New England. It also appears in a folk tale from central England dated to c...
(Reel du Diable) emphasized double stop and rhythmic ornament seldom found in US interpretations.
This style is also demonstrated in a rare 2011 performance by Kevin Burke in which he plays three reels from Quebec (Reel de Napolean, Reel en Sol (Reel in G), and Guy Thomas). The inimitable Kevin Burke plays three reels from Quebec in a rare solo performance at An Beal Bocht, Bronx, NYC on April 13, 2011: Reel de Napolean, Reel en Sol (Reel in G), and Guy Thomas.
Quebec fiddle is a part of the Old time fiddle
Old time fiddle
Old time fiddle is a genre of American folk music. "Old time fiddle tunes" may be played on fiddle, banjo or other instruments but are nevertheless called "fiddle tunes". The genre has European origins and traces from the colonization of North America by immigrants from England, France, Germany,...
canon and is influential in New England and Northwest fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
styles.
History and Development
According to Reiner and Anick, the affinity between Anglo-Celtic and French fiddle music dates to the 1600s. Solo style predominated in the rugged frontier land where a small fiddle could be easily managed. Thus, cross tunings, drone notes and complex rhythms evolved to fill the gaps left in unaccompanied playing and this resulted in a highly developed style. CloggingClogging
Clogging is a type of folk dance with roots in traditional European dancing, early African-American dance, and traditional Cherokee dance in which the dancer's footwear is used musically by striking the heel, the toe, or both in unison against a floor or each other to create audible percussive...
was often the only available accompaniment, and, much like the aboriginal Metis fiddle
Métis fiddle
Métis fiddle is the style with which the Métis of Canada and Métis in the northern parts of the US have developed to play the violin in folk ensemble and solo. It is marked by percussive use of the bow and percussive accompaniment such as spoon percussion. The Meti people themselves blend First...
style, percussive and rhythmic playing is notably developed in this style. As with the French-speaking Cajun fiddle
Cajun fiddle
Cajun fiddle music is a part of the American fiddle music canon. It is derived from the music of southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas, as well as sharing repertoire from the Quebec and Cape Breton traditions...
style, German button accordion created a fad which temporarily influenced the form, as did the eventual introduction of piano in the urban center Montreal.
Repertoire and Style
The repertoire is, in some respects, generally the same as that of AmericanAmerican fiddle
This page is about fiddle music in the USA. For other North American styles, see Fiddle#Fiddling_styles.American fiddle playing began with the early settlers who found that the small viol family instruments were portable and rugged. According to Ron Yule, "John Utie, a 1620 immigrant, settled in...
, Canadian
Canadian fiddle
Canadian fiddle is the aggregate body of tunes, styles and musicians engaging the traditional folk music of Canada on the fiddle. It is an integral extension of the Anglo-Celtic and Québécois Frenchfolk music tradition but has distinct features found only in the Western hemisphere Due to...
and Oldtime fiddle, but with the addition of French-derived chanson
Chanson
A chanson is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specialising in chansons is known as a "chanteur" or "chanteuse" ; a collection of chansons, especially from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, is also known as a chansonnier.-Chanson de geste:The...
. However, the interpretation is quite different. For example, Lisa Ornstein's treatment of The Devil's Dream
The Devil's Dream
"The Devil's Dream" is an old fiddle tune of unknown origins. Played as either a jig or a reel, it is attested to as a popular tune from at least 1834 in New England. It also appears in a folk tale from central England dated to c...
(Reel du Diable) emphasized double stop and rhythmic ornament seldom found in US interpretations.
This style is also demonstrated in a rare 2011 performance by Kevin Burke in which he plays three reels from Quebec (Reel de Napolean, Reel en Sol (Reel in G), and Guy Thomas). The inimitable Kevin Burke plays three reels from Quebec in a rare solo performance at An Beal Bocht, Bronx, NYC on April 13, 2011: Reel de Napolean, Reel en Sol (Reel in G), and Guy Thomas.
Quebec fiddle is a part of the Old time fiddle
Old time fiddle
Old time fiddle is a genre of American folk music. "Old time fiddle tunes" may be played on fiddle, banjo or other instruments but are nevertheless called "fiddle tunes". The genre has European origins and traces from the colonization of North America by immigrants from England, France, Germany,...
canon and is influential in New England and Northwest fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
styles.
History and Development
According to Reiner and Anick, the affinity between Anglo-Celtic and French fiddle music dates to the 1600s. Solo style predominated in the rugged frontier land where a small fiddle could be easily managed. Thus, cross tunings, drone notes and complex rhythms evolved to fill the gaps left in unaccompanied playing and this resulted in a highly developed style. CloggingClogging
Clogging is a type of folk dance with roots in traditional European dancing, early African-American dance, and traditional Cherokee dance in which the dancer's footwear is used musically by striking the heel, the toe, or both in unison against a floor or each other to create audible percussive...
was often the only available accompaniment, and, much like the aboriginal Metis fiddle
Métis fiddle
Métis fiddle is the style with which the Métis of Canada and Métis in the northern parts of the US have developed to play the violin in folk ensemble and solo. It is marked by percussive use of the bow and percussive accompaniment such as spoon percussion. The Meti people themselves blend First...
style, percussive and rhythmic playing is notably developed in this style. As with the French-speaking Cajun fiddle
Cajun fiddle
Cajun fiddle music is a part of the American fiddle music canon. It is derived from the music of southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas, as well as sharing repertoire from the Quebec and Cape Breton traditions...
style, German button accordion created a fad which temporarily influenced the form, as did the eventual introduction of piano in the urban center Montreal.
Repertoire and Style
The repertoire is, in some respects, generally the same as that of AmericanAmerican fiddle
This page is about fiddle music in the USA. For other North American styles, see Fiddle#Fiddling_styles.American fiddle playing began with the early settlers who found that the small viol family instruments were portable and rugged. According to Ron Yule, "John Utie, a 1620 immigrant, settled in...
, Canadian
Canadian fiddle
Canadian fiddle is the aggregate body of tunes, styles and musicians engaging the traditional folk music of Canada on the fiddle. It is an integral extension of the Anglo-Celtic and Québécois Frenchfolk music tradition but has distinct features found only in the Western hemisphere Due to...
and Oldtime fiddle, but with the addition of French-derived chanson
Chanson
A chanson is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specialising in chansons is known as a "chanteur" or "chanteuse" ; a collection of chansons, especially from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, is also known as a chansonnier.-Chanson de geste:The...
. However, the interpretation is quite different. For example, Lisa Ornstein's treatment of The Devil's Dream
The Devil's Dream
"The Devil's Dream" is an old fiddle tune of unknown origins. Played as either a jig or a reel, it is attested to as a popular tune from at least 1834 in New England. It also appears in a folk tale from central England dated to c...
(Reel du Diable) emphasized double stop and rhythmic ornament seldom found in US interpretations.
This style is also demonstrated in a rare 2011 performance by Kevin Burke in which he plays three reels from Quebec (Reel de Napolean, Reel en Sol (Reel in G), and Guy Thomas). The inimitable Kevin Burke plays three reels from Quebec in a rare solo performance at An Beal Bocht, Bronx, NYC on April 13, 2011: Reel de Napolean, Reel en Sol (Reel in G), and Guy Thomas.
He also recorded this set with Celtic Fiddle Festival on their 2008 CD Equinox.
The percussive use of footwork, however, is not limited to the First Nations musicians. Fiddle music, in general, lends itself well to group playing and percussive use of feet and hands, as in the performance of La Turlette at Kyneton, central Victoria, where the Celtic Southern Cross Summer School produced this ethnomusicologically notableclip.
Joseph Allard
Joseph Allard
Joseph Allard , a native of Lowell, MA, was a professor of saxophone and clarinet at the Juilliard School, the New England Conservatory, the Manhattan School of Music, as well as adjunct positions at many other schools. He succeeded saxophonist/clarinetist Vincent J...
(February 1, 1873 – November 14, 1947) was an enormously influential Quebec fiddler
Fiddler
A fiddler is a person who plays a fiddle or violin.Fiddler may also refer to:*Fabrangen Fiddlers, an American musical group founded in 1971*Tupolev Tu-28 "Fiddler", a fighter aircraft*Fiddler , a DC Comics villain...
who made many popular recordings earning him the title The Prince of Fiddlers. His family lived in 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....
when he was quite young. Allard's father was a violoneux, and, when Allard reached the age of nine, he began formal fiddle instruction.
Allard remained in Quebec until the age of sixteen at which time he moved back to the United States. He entered fiddling competitions throughout New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, winning in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
and Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
and Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
musicians he met through his travels taught him a number of Real
Reel (dance)
The reel is a folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type. In Scottish country dancing, the reel is one of the four traditional dances, the others being the jig, the strathspey and the waltz, and is also the name of a dance figure ....
s and Gigue
Gigue
The gigue or giga is a lively baroque dance originating from the British jig. It was imported into France in the mid-17th century and usually appears at the end of a suite...
s.
He continued to travel and play in the United States until 1917 when he returned to Canada and settled near 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...
. Allard was one of five fiddlers to represent Quebec at a worldwide competition held in Lewiston
Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
in 1926 alongside Johnny Boivin, A. S. Lavallée, Médard Bourgie and Ferdinand Boivin. In 1928, Victor's Bluebird label contracted him to make recordings for them. He went on to produce 75 78
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
s in his career and would record six more under the pseudonym Maxime Toupin. Allard was one of the first French Canadian
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...
s fiddlers to record commercially. Apart from traditional songs, Allard also wrote around sixty songs of his own.
Jean “Ti-Jean” Carignan
Jean “Ti-Jean” CarignanJean Carignan
Jean Carignan, was a Canadian fiddler.Born in Lévis, Québec on December 7, 1916. He was a well-known fiddler from Quebec. Joseph Allard, Michael Coleman, and J. Scott Skinner are all brilliant traditional fiddlers whose music Carignan studied. Carignan was a friend of famous violinist and...
(December 7 1916, Lévis
Levis
-People:*François de Gaston, Chevalier de Lévis , French soldier best known for his command in Canada in 1760*George Levis , American college basketball player and coach*Georges Lévis , French adult comic artist-Places:Canada...
- February 16 1988, 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...
) is perhaps the most famous Québécois fiddler
Fiddler
A fiddler is a person who plays a fiddle or violin.Fiddler may also refer to:*Fabrangen Fiddlers, an American musical group founded in 1971*Tupolev Tu-28 "Fiddler", a fighter aircraft*Fiddler , a DC Comics villain...
since Allard. He started to play violin at the age of four, and, at age seven, his familiy moved to 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...
. Joseph Allard eventually became his role model after he heard one of Allard's recordings which whom Carignan began studying in 1926. He also learned the repertories from the Irish fiddler Michael Coleman
Michael Coleman
Michael Coleman may refer to:*Michael Coleman , Canadian performer, voice of numerous anime characters*Michael Coleman , English writer of books for children and young adults; candidate for the 1996 Carnegie Medal...
, from whom he received most of his stylistic influence, and from Scotch fiddle player James Scott Skinner
James Scott Skinner
James Scott Skinner was a Scottish dancing master, violinist, fiddler, and composer.Skinner was born in Banchory, near Aberdeen. His father was a dancing master on Deeside. James was only eighteen months old when his father died. When James was seven, his elder brother, Sandy, gave him lessons in...
. Carignan's other major influences included Louis Boudreault, Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE was a Russian Jewish American violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in the United Kingdom. He was born to Russian Jewish parents in the United States, but became a citizen of Switzerland in 1970, and of the United Kingdom in 1985...
and Henryk Szeryng
Henryk Szeryng
Henryk Szeryng was a Polish violinist.-Early years:He was born in Żelazowa Wola, Poland on 22 September 1918 into a wealthy family....
.
In 1976, Carignan released Jean Carignan rend hommage à Joseph Allard, a tribute album to Allard.
External Links
Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling AssociationDaniel and Louis-Simon Lemieux