Mathieu, (Joseph) Rodolphe

Mathieu, (Joseph) Rodolphe, Canadian composer, teacher, and pianist, father of (René) André (RodoLPhe) Mathieu; b. Grondines, near Quebec City, July 10, 1890; d. Montreal, June 29, 1962. He went to Montreal and studied piano with Alphonse Martin and voice with Céline Marier (1906–08). After training in composition with Alexis Contant (c. 1910), he went to Paris in 1920 and studied composition with d’Indy and orchestration with Aubert at the Schola Cantorum, and conducting with Golschmann at the Collège de France. Settling in Montreal in 1927, he became a teacher at the Institut pédagogique of the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame and at the convent of the Sisters of Ste. Anne in Lachine. He organized the Canadian Inst. of Music in 1929. He was also active as director of the International Soc. of Music, which became the Édition exclusive de musique canadienne in 1934 and which publ. various Canadian scores, including some by Mathieu. In addition to teaching privately, he was on the faculty of the Montreal Cons. (1955–59). He was the author of Parlons...musique (Montreal, 1932). His Tests d’aptitudes musicales (1930–56) remains in MS. In his early works, he was influenced by Debussy and more especially Wagner, but he later embraced post-Romantic elements in his output.

Works

chamber: Lied for Violin and Piano (1915); String Quartet (1920); Trio for Piano, Violin, and Cello (1921); 12 Études modernes or Monologues for Violin (1924); 22 Dialogues for Violin and Cello (c. 1924); Violin Sonata (1928; also as a Cello Sonata); Quintet for Piano and String Quartet (1942). keyboard: piano: Chevauchée (1911); 3 Préludes (1912–15; also orchestrated); Sonata (1927). organ:Variations on Venez, divin Messie! (1910). vocal:Un peu d’ombre for Soprano and Orch. (1913); Harmonie du soir for Soprano or Tenor, Violin, and Orch. (1924); Saisons canadiennes for Bass and Piano (c. 1925); Symphonie-ballet avec choeurs for Chorus and Orch. (1927; unfinished); Deux Poèmes for Tenor or Soprano and String Quartet (1928); Sanctus et Benedictus for Chorus (1931); Prière:”O Jésus vivant en Marie” for Men’s Voices and Organ (1933); Lève-toi, Canadien for Chorus and Orch. or Band (1934); Symphonie pour voix humaines for 12 Voices and Piano or Brass ad libitum (1960; unfinished).

Bibliography

J. Bourassa-Trépanier, R.M., musicien canadien (1890–1962) (diss., Laval Univ., 1972).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire