Gabriel Cusson
Encyclopedia
Gabriel Cusson was a Canadian composer
and music educator. As a composer, his music was heavily influenced by the style of early 20th century French composers. Most of his work remains unpunlished, although a few of his compositions have been recorded including his Sérénade for orchestra and one of his suite
s by the Orchestre Métropolitain
. The Canadian publishing company La Bonne Chanson
has printed a number of his folksong arrangements. His other unpublished works include several motet
s, the cantata
À la gloire de Jeanne Mance (1942), and incidental music for Antigone
and the biblical dramas Jonathas and Tobie.
Cusson was trained at the Institut Nazareth, a music conservatory in Montreal that awarded degrees through the University of Montreal. While there he studied the cello
with Gustave Labelle, singing
with Alfred Lamoureux, piano
and organ
with Arthur Letondal, and music theory
with both Achille Fortier
and Romain Pelletier
. He graduated from the school in 1924 with a Bachelor of Music
and that same year won the Prix d'Europe
for cello performance. That competition win enabled him to study at the École Normale de Musique de Paris
in France from 1924-1930 with such teachers as Diran Alexanian
(cello), Nadia Boulanger
(composition), and Charles Panzéra
(voice).
In 1931 Cusson returned to Montreal and became active as both a composer and teacher in that city. As a teacher he first worked as a private tutor in counterpoint
, with Jean Papineau-Couture
being one of his notable students during the 1930s. In 1943 he joined the music faculty of the newly established Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal (CMQM) at the invitation of Wilfrid Pelletier
. He taught at the CMQM through 1971, where his notable students included Gaston Arel, Raymond Daveluy
, Kenneth Gilbert
, Bernard Lagacé, Aline Letendre, Lucienne L'Heureux-Arel, and Michel Perrault
. A recital hall at the conservatoire bears his name. He also served as the presindent of the Académie de musique du Québec from 1952–1953 and again from 1956-1959.
Cusson also published works on the teaching of music, including Quelques souvenirs des années and 30 et sur un sujet bien actuel (Vie musicale, December 1970). He also wrote four volumes of ear training
music methods and exercises which remain unpublished. Manuscripts of these works and several of his unpublished scores are currently part of the collection at the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec
.
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. As a composer, his music was heavily influenced by the style of early 20th century French composers. Most of his work remains unpunlished, although a few of his compositions have been recorded including his Sérénade for orchestra and one of his suite
Suite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
s by the Orchestre Métropolitain
Orchestre Métropolitain
The Orchestre Métropolitain is a Canadian orchestra based in Montreal, Quebec. The OM primarily gives its concerts in the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at the Place des Arts, and also performs at the Théâtre Maisonneuve...
. The Canadian publishing company La Bonne Chanson
La Bonne Chanson
La bonne chanson is a collection of poems written by Paul Verlaine from the winter of 1869 to the spring of 1870. Twenty-one poems belong to this group, and are addressed to sixteen-year-old Mathilde Mauté de Fleurville, who he married in the same year .The poems are a proclamation of love, using...
has printed a number of his folksong arrangements. His other unpublished works include several motet
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
s, the cantata
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
À la gloire de Jeanne Mance (1942), and incidental music for Antigone
Antigone
In Greek mythology, Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, Oedipus' mother. The name may be taken to mean "unbending", coming from "anti-" and "-gon / -gony" , but has also been suggested to mean "opposed to motherhood", "in place of a mother", or "anti-generative", based from the root...
and the biblical dramas Jonathas and Tobie.
Cusson was trained at the Institut Nazareth, a music conservatory in Montreal that awarded degrees through the University of Montreal. While there he studied the cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
with Gustave Labelle, singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
with Alfred Lamoureux, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
with Arthur Letondal, and 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...
with both Achille Fortier
Achille Fortier
Achille Fortier was a Canadian composer and music educator. His compositional output includes a modest amount of choral and chamber works, several songs and motets, and a small amount of symphonic music. A considerable portion of his compositions are religious in nature...
and Romain Pelletier
Romain Pelletier
Romain Pelletier was a Canadian organist, choir conductor, composer, and music educator. His compositional output consists entirely of works for solo organ and motets...
. He graduated from the school in 1924 with a Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
and that same year won the Prix d'Europe
Prix d'Europe
The Prix d'Europe is a prestigious Canadian study grant that is funded by the Ministère des Affaires culturelles du Québec of the Government of Quebec. Established in 1911, the award has been distributed annually to a single individual through competition with the exception of 1960-1973 and 2009...
for cello performance. That competition win enabled him to study at the École Normale de Musique de Paris
École Normale de Musique de Paris
The École Normale de Musique de Paris is a leading conservatoire located in Paris, France. The school was founded by Auguste Mangeot and pianist Alfred Cortot in 1919...
in France from 1924-1930 with such teachers as Diran Alexanian
Diran Alexanian
Diran Alexanian was an Armenian cello teacher. He studied cello with Friedrich Grützmacher in Leipzig, as well as played chamber music with Johannes Brahms and violinist Joseph Joachim...
(cello), Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger was a French composer, conductor and teacher who taught many composers and performers of the 20th century.From a musical family, she achieved early honours as a student at the Paris Conservatoire, but believing that her talent as a composer was inferior to that of her younger...
(composition), and Charles Panzéra
Charles Panzéra
Charles [Auguste Louis] Panzéra was a Swiss operatic and concert baritone.-Overview:Panzéra's studies at the Paris Conservatory under the tuition of Amédée-Louis Hettich were interrupted by his volunteering into the French Army during World War I...
(voice).
In 1931 Cusson returned to Montreal and became active as both a composer and teacher in that city. As a teacher he first worked as a private tutor in counterpoint
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
, with Jean Papineau-Couture
Jean Papineau-Couture
Jean Papineau-Couture, was a Canadian composer and academic.Born in Montreal, Papineau-Couture is the grandson of conductor and composer Guillaume Couture. As a child he studied piano with his mother...
being one of his notable students during the 1930s. In 1943 he joined the music faculty of the newly established Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal (CMQM) at the invitation of Wilfrid Pelletier
Wilfrid Pelletier
Joseph Louis Wilfrid Pelletier , CC was a Canadian conductor, pianist, composer, and arts administrator. He was instrumental in establishing the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, serving as the orchestra's first artistic director and conductor from 1935-1941...
. He taught at the CMQM through 1971, where his notable students included Gaston Arel, Raymond Daveluy
Raymond Daveluy
Joseph Eugène Raymond-Marie Daveluy is a Canadian composer, organist, music educator, and arts administrator. An associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre, his compositional output consists mainly of works for solo organ. He had an active international career as a recitalist and concert...
, Kenneth Gilbert
Kenneth Gilbert
Kenneth Gilbert, OC is a Canadian harpsichordist, organist, musicologist and music educator.Gilbert was trained at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal where he was a pupil of Yvonne Hubert and Gabriel Cusson . He also studied the organ privately with Conrad Letendre in Montréal...
, Bernard Lagacé, Aline Letendre, Lucienne L'Heureux-Arel, and Michel Perrault
Michel Perrault
Michel Brunet Perrault is a Canadian composer, conductor, music educator, and percussionist. As a composer, his work largely pulls on Canadian folk melodies and his compositions avoid modernism in favor of classical ideas of harmony and counterpoint. He described his own work in these words, "I'm...
. A recital hall at the conservatoire bears his name. He also served as the presindent of the Académie de musique du Québec from 1952–1953 and again from 1956-1959.
Cusson also published works on the teaching of music, including Quelques souvenirs des années and 30 et sur un sujet bien actuel (Vie musicale, December 1970). He also wrote four volumes of ear training
Ear training
Ear training or aural skills is a skill by which musicians learn to identify, solely by hearing, pitches, intervals, melody, chords, rhythms, and other basic elements of music. The application of this skill is analogous to taking dictation in written/spoken language. Ear training may be...
music methods and exercises which remain unpublished. Manuscripts of these works and several of his unpublished scores are currently part of the collection at the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec is the Crown corporation acting as the provincial library and archives of Quebec...
.