Pierre Brabant
Encyclopedia
Pierre Brabant is a Canadian composer
and pianist
. He has appeared in concerts and recitals throughout Canada and performed numerous times on Canadian television and radio. He has written music for a number of programs for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
and has worked as a composer, arranger, and music director for numerous recordings by a variety of Canadian artisits. Since 1987 he has performed regularly in concerts and recitals as the accompianist for opera
singer Joseph Rouleau
.
, Brabant began his studies in piano studies as a child and gave his first public recital while a teenager. In 1942 he appeared on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
program Young Artists of Tomorrow. The following year he was awarded first prize in the CBC radio competition Les Talents de chez-nous. From 1942-1943 he was a piano student of Raymond David and Joseph-Élie Savaria.
In 1947-1948 Brabant took a sojourn in Paris, after which he embarked on a Candadian recital tour; giving a total of 78 recitals. He notably included some of his own compsoitions in his recital program, including Sonatine en do, Caprice laurentien, Cinq Cantilènes and Cinq Églogues. In his review of Brabant's 1948 recital at Plateau Hall in Montreal Jean Vallerand
wrote, "Pierre Brabant is a splendid pianist and a fine artist. He also is a very intelligent, sensitive composer, with a solid technique and something to say."
In 1949 Brabant studied the organ
with Marcel Dupré
in Paris. That same year his ballet
La Gaspésienne, which was choreographed by Ruth Sorel
, premiered in Montreal. The ballet was given performances in Toronto, New York City, and at the Great Theatre, Warsaw in 1950. He entered the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal in 1951 where he studied for two years. In 1954 he appeared as a soloist on several CBC Television
programs, including L'Heure du concert. In 1957 he pursued studies in the organ with Eugène Lapierre
.
In the early 1960s Brabant developed an interest in expanding his compositional repertoire into the pop music
genre. One of his earliest forays into this area was the music for Jean-Pierre Ferland
's program Feuilles de gui, which was awarded prizes in 1962 from the CBC and in Brussels. Several soundtrack
s for CBC children's programs followed, including Tour de terre, Au clair de soleil, and Soleil et jours de pluie. He also composed music for a number of albums for children, including 20 Contes pour enfants par Tante Lucille for RCA
. He also recorded the theme song and played the background music for the popular TV series Rue des Pignons
from 1967–1978, and composed music for the TV show La Semaine verte.
Brabant served as music director and arranger for several recordings during the 1960s through the 1980s, including ones by Jean-Paul Filion, Hervé Brousseau, Georges Dor
and Félix Leclerc
. In 1987 he began working regularly with bass Joseph Rouleau
as an accompaniast. Many of their recitals together have been devoted to Leclerc's music.
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 pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
. He has appeared in concerts and recitals throughout Canada and performed numerous times on Canadian television and radio. He has written music for a number of programs for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
and has worked as a composer, arranger, and music director for numerous recordings by a variety of Canadian artisits. Since 1987 he has performed regularly in concerts and recitals as the accompianist for opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singer Joseph Rouleau
Joseph Rouleau
Joseph A. Rouleau, is a French-Canadian bass opera singer, particularly associated with the Italian and French repertories....
.
Life and career
Born in MontrealMontreal
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...
, Brabant began his studies in piano studies as a child and gave his first public recital while a teenager. In 1942 he appeared on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
program Young Artists of Tomorrow. The following year he was awarded first prize in the CBC radio competition Les Talents de chez-nous. From 1942-1943 he was a piano student of Raymond David and Joseph-Élie Savaria.
In 1947-1948 Brabant took a sojourn in Paris, after which he embarked on a Candadian recital tour; giving a total of 78 recitals. He notably included some of his own compsoitions in his recital program, including Sonatine en do, Caprice laurentien, Cinq Cantilènes and Cinq Églogues. In his review of Brabant's 1948 recital at Plateau Hall in Montreal Jean Vallerand
Jean Vallerand
Jean Vallerand, CQ was a composer, music critic, violinist, conductor, arts administrator, writer, and music educator from Quebec. As a composer he was active from 1935 to 1969...
wrote, "Pierre Brabant is a splendid pianist and a fine artist. He also is a very intelligent, sensitive composer, with a solid technique and something to say."
In 1949 Brabant studied the 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 Marcel Dupré
Marcel Dupré
Marcel Dupré , was a French organist, pianist, composer, and pedagogue.-Biography:Marcel Dupré was born in Rouen . Born into a musical family, he was a child prodigy. His father Albert Dupré was organist in Rouen and a friend of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, who built an organ in the family house when...
in Paris. That same year his ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
La Gaspésienne, which was choreographed by Ruth Sorel
Ruth Abramovitsch Sorel
Ruth Elly Abramovitsch Sorel was a German choreographer, dancer, artistic director and teacher. She spent the first half of her career working mainly in Europe and then was predominantly active in Canada after moving to that nation in 1944...
, premiered in Montreal. The ballet was given performances in Toronto, New York City, and at the Great Theatre, Warsaw in 1950. He entered the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal in 1951 where he studied for two years. In 1954 he appeared as a soloist on several CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
programs, including L'Heure du concert. In 1957 he pursued studies in the organ with Eugène Lapierre
Eugène Lapierre
Eugène Lapierre was a Canadian organist, composer, journalist, writer on music, arts administrator, and music educator. He was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal in 1935 and the King George VI Coronation Medal in 1937...
.
In the early 1960s Brabant developed an interest in expanding his compositional repertoire into the pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
genre. One of his earliest forays into this area was the music for Jean-Pierre Ferland
Jean-Pierre Ferland
Jean-Pierre Ferland, OC, CQ is a Canadian singer and songwriter.-Life and career:Ferland began work with Radio-Canada in 1956 as an accountant, but his career there was short lived. Shortly after, he began taking guitar lessons with Stephen Fentock and began to fall in love with music, writing his...
's program Feuilles de gui, which was awarded prizes in 1962 from the CBC and in Brussels. Several soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s for CBC children's programs followed, including Tour de terre, Au clair de soleil, and Soleil et jours de pluie. He also composed music for a number of albums for children, including 20 Contes pour enfants par Tante Lucille for RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
. He also recorded the theme song and played the background music for the popular TV series Rue des Pignons
Rue des Pignons
Rue des Pignons was a French-Canadian TV series which ran from 1966 to 1977. Radio-Canada has reportedly lost most of the episodes of the series, only managing to trace about 35 of the 414 episodes from 1966 to 1977...
from 1967–1978, and composed music for the TV show La Semaine verte.
Brabant served as music director and arranger for several recordings during the 1960s through the 1980s, including ones by Jean-Paul Filion, Hervé Brousseau, Georges Dor
Georges Dor
Georges Dor was a Québécois author, composer, playwright, singer, poet, translator, and theatrical producer and director....
and Félix Leclerc
Félix Leclerc
Félix Leclerc, was a French-Canadian singer-songwriter, poet, writer, actor and Québécois political activist. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada on December 20, 1968...
. In 1987 he began working regularly with bass Joseph Rouleau
Joseph Rouleau
Joseph A. Rouleau, is a French-Canadian bass opera singer, particularly associated with the Italian and French repertories....
as an accompaniast. Many of their recitals together have been devoted to Leclerc's music.