# Piano Music by Canadian Composers



## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

I've been thinking for some time about a thread on solo piano works by Canadian composers, and wish to find out how much interest there is. Please let me know if you'd like it to continue and have any suggestions.

Emphasis is on the work itself. Here are two works to begin with:

-- _Image Astrale_ (1981) by Jean Coulthard 
Pianist: Charles Foreman






Jean Coulthard (1908-2000) was a Vancouver-born composer who studied at the Royal College of Music with Vaughan Williams and others. She was a beloved composition teacher at the University of British Columbia. While based in Vancouver, she spent considerable time in France and especially in England where she knew composers Gordon Jacob, Arthur Bliss, and Lennox Berkeley among others.

-- Piano Sonata No. 5 (1950) by Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté 
Pianist: Marc-André Hamelin






Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté (1899-74) was a child prodigy violinist, pianist, and composer. The Russian-born composer's family moved to Paris and later to Berlin. She came to Canada with her husband Ferdinand Eckhardt in 1953 when he was appointed head of the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Pianist Marc-André Hamelin has recorded her works for the Hyperion label.


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

Greetings, Roger K.

I appreciate your intentions, but also think this thread will witness very little activity.

It's difficult enough for me merely to cogitate upon which composers are Canadians ... let alone to hunt down their music for solo piano.

Out of hundreds of composers, I'm familiar with around a half-dozen:

Henry Brant (1913-2008)
Robert Farnon (1917-2005)
Gilles Tremblay (1932-2017)
Sydney Hodkinson (1934-2021(?))
Jacques Hétu (1938-2010)
Claude Vivier (1948-1983)

... plus I'm only aware of these guys because they've had a little of their music recorded for albums (which I bought 'blind').
None of the discs I have on the above are solo piano music.

So, from amongst _hundreds_ of Canadian composers, those that I know about number only in the single digits. Pitiful, ain't it? And I'm one of the more adventuresome TC members; if I don't know any piano music by Canadians, then I daresay most others won't either.

Continue posting here as is your want, but I think a less specific/more generic thread on Canadian composers would generate more traffic.


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

FYI.

A thread I created during 2014 on Mexican music got zero replies Mexican music on Dorian Recordings and/or ASV


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

Prodromides said:


> Greetings, Roger K.
> 
> I appreciate your intentions, but also think this thread will witness very little activity ... Continue posting here as is your want, but I think a less specific/more generic thread on Canadian composers would generate more traffic.


Thanks, Prodromides, for your reply. I don't have time to do a more generic thread, but I will respond to any posts on this one. Your comments are quite frank and I'm glad for that. The list of Canadian composers provides a different perspective, and I know you venture outside the box quite a bit. Name-dropping alert: My perspective is that I knew Jacques Hétu and analyzed his piano music, also knew Sidney Hodkinson, saw Gilles Tremblay and Claude Vivier at music events and Henry Brant and Robert Farnon on video. To me they were major figures, utterly different from one another.


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## Philidor (11 mo ago)

Thank you, Roger Knox, for this thread. My interest stems from another perspective.

It is a widespread belief that Czech music should be performed by Czech musicians, Italian music by Italians, French music by French etc.

Given the implicit assumption pointed out above, the following question immediately arises: Which music should Glenn Gould have played instead of losing time with Bach?


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

Prodromides said:


> FYI.
> 
> A thread I created during 2014 on Mexican music got zero replies Mexican music on Dorian Recordings and/or ASV


It's too bad, both that the recordings were de-listed and that no one responded to your post.

I haven't thought of anything further to say yet. Maybe it will be something philosophical like "How does a musical composition cease to exist?"


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

Philidor said:


> It is a widespread belief that Czech music should be performed by Czech musicians, Italian music by Italians, French music by French etc.
> 
> Given the implicit assumption pointed out above, the following question immediately arises: Which music should Glenn Gould have played instead of losing time with Bach?


Thank you Philidor, it is a good question. Gould played very little solo piano music by Canadian composers. In the current catalogue there is a recording "Canadian Music in the 20th Century," Glenn Gould, piano -- a 2015 remastering by Sony of a 1967 CBS Masterworks LP commemorating Canada's 100th birthday. I think it's the only recording of Gould playing Canadian music:

Oskar Morawetz (1917-2007): Fantasy in D Minor (1959)
Istvan Anhalt (1919-2012): Fantasia (1954)
Jacques Hétu (1938-2010): Variations (1964)

Oskar Morawetz (Czech-Canadian) and Istvan Anhalt (Hungarian-Canadian) left their homelands on account of World War II: Morawetz before and Anhalt after. They had successful careers in Canada as composers and university professors, as did Jacques Hétu who was born and lived in Québec. His Variations is a serial work and Gould's recording brought him widespread recognition in Canada. Morawetz's Fantasy is tonal while Anhalt's I believe is atonal.

I wish Glenn Gould had played more of their music, and also that of Coulthard and Eckhardt-Grammatté mentioned in the original post. Other Canadian composers I wish he had played include Harry Somers (e.g. Sonata No. 5), François Morel (e.g. _Deux études de sonorité_), John Beckwith and Bruce Mather. I'm deliberately mentioning composers from the elder generation of Canadian twentieth-century modernists; only Beckwith and Mather are still living. The reason is that Gould recorded a lot of Schoenberg and Hindemith as well as modernist works of Berg, Krenek, Scriabin, and Prokofiev. Modernism was a key strength of his. But after stopping public performance he had to make recordings that would sell. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio and television carried some Canadian modernist music, but a number of other media projects were more important to him.


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## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

It is interesting that I also cannot find many Canadian piano works, although some of my favorite composers are Canadian. I have Another Timbre's Canadian composers series (mostly chamber works) and some recordings of Canadian string quartets by Quatuor Bozzini.

Piano works of two contemporary Canadian composers are included in Richard Valitutto's piano solo album nocturnes & lullabies.

Marc Sabat: Nocturne (1996)





Linda Catlin Smith: A Nocturne (1995)





This sparse piano work reminds me of Morton Feldman.

Feldman's wife Barbara Monk Feldman was a Canadian composer. She composed a few piano pieces. Her music is contemplative and more lyrical than her husband's.

Barbara Monk Feldman: The I and Thou (1988)


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## RICK RIEKERT (Oct 9, 2017)

Alexina Louie is a bright star in the Canadian firmament.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

Philidor said:


> Which music should Glenn Gould have played ...


One more comment on your post. It seems to me impossible to say what Glenn Gould "should have" done. The man was a law unto himself and people seemed to accept that. I give him a lot of space because I think he was fragile. Despite his enormous gifts he was mocked mercilessly for his mannerisms when young and became a recluse, abandoning the concert stage at age 32. I won't get into psychology but will just mention that he developed many ailments and died at age 50. He had the kind of eccentric rebel persona that some could identify with, seeing him as unique where others saw him as incorrigible.


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## Philidor (11 mo ago)

Roger Knox said:


> [ ... ] It seems to me impossible to say what Glenn Gould "should have" done. The man was a law unto himself and people seemed to accept that. I give him a lot of space because I think he was fragile. [ .. ]


I fully agree. I wouldn't take my question too seriously. The bon mot with Glenn Gould was in my head for decades, now it is out.

But yes, it seems to be difficult with canadian composers.

Something similar happened to me when my company established some near-shoring with Slovakia. I wanted to say something polite about slovakian composers, but alas, all know composers seem to be Czech ... and you shouldn't sing praise of Czech composers with Slovakians present ...

Thank you for pointing out that Glenn Gould indeed recorded some Canadian music!


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## MRJames (Nov 10, 2020)

A thread with this title should include a mention of Ann Southam -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Southam

Although Southam composed in several areas I would say she is best known for her solo piano music. Most of her CDs are OOP but there are a number of items on youtube which are worth exploring. The Canadian pianist Eve Egoyan has recorded some of Southam's piano music and downloads are available here:

https://eveegoyan.bandcamp.com/music


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

Philidor said:


> But yes, it seems to be difficult with canadian composers. ... Thank you for pointing out that Glenn Gould indeed recorded some Canadian music!


Thank you. As for what is difficult for Canadian classical composers it is simply that Canadian classical music is mainly modernist or post-modernist.

That recording by Glenn Gould is pretty easy to find. Concerning the piece by Oskar Morawetz, I was reminded me of a quote by Gould when Morawetz complained to him for not observing some markings in the score: "You see, Oskar, the trouble with you is that you don't understand your own music."


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

If you go to Discogs and search _anthologie de la musique canadienne piano _you can fill your boots witn Canadian piano music! I haven't heard any of it.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

tortkis said:


> It is interesting that I also cannot find many Canadian piano works, although some of my favorite composers are Canadian. I have Another Timbre's Canadian composers series (mostly chamber works) and some recordings of Canadian string quartets by Quatuor Bozzini.
> 
> Piano works of two contemporary Canadian composers are included in Richard Valitutto's piano solo album nocturnes & lullabies.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the links. Barbara Monk Feldman is still living -- she and Linda Catlin Smith are well-known and Marc Sabat I knew of as a violinist. Because I'll be posting modernist works it's good also to have these post-modern and minimal ones.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

RICK RIEKERT said:


> Alexina Louie is a bright star in the Canadian firmament.


I've heard a number of works for larger forces by Alexina Louie but these miniatures are new to me. With a fine piano background herself, she achieves maximum effect from small gestures.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

Concerning the Piano Sonata No. 5 by Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté linked in the OP, I don't agree with the YT description of this sonata as "grotesque." Knowing that "grotesque" is a recognized type (e.g. in Prokofiev), and is not necessarily meant to be negative, my concern is that the word misses the sense of play and humor that permeates this work. It's better to turn down the volume a bit, and then the heavy sonorities don't become relentless. This work that I very much like parodies 19th-century pianistic virtuosity and the fugue among other things. The principal motif -- 4 notes in a semitone-tone-semitone pattern ascending and descending -- is in itself trite and pompous (Bartokian?). But the treatment she gives it is ingenious indeed -- with a kind of wit that gets better with repeated hearings.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

I believe that _Image Astrale_ by Jean Coulthard stands up well on its own, and doesn't need special pleading. There is a sense of well-calibrated flow. The extended rolled major triads suggest to me a hopeful beacon, insistent at times. But really, the variety of textures and timbres associated with the image is amazing, and the variants should not be assumed to be representational. I've listened to this work many times, just sitting back and enjoying new aspects each time.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

Philidor said:


> Thank you for pointing out that Glenn Gould indeed recorded some Canadian music!


Of the works that Gould recorded on "Canadian Music in the Twentieth Century" I particularly like this one:

Jacques Hétu (1938-2010): Variations (1964)






Why? It is a serial (twelve-tone) piece but unlike some serial compositions this one gives my ear a chance to settle in. Jacques Hétu was influenced by Messiaen and Dutilleux. His chords are rich; the textures and timbres are clear and attractive with variety in the piano writing. Lively rhythms, continuity and dramatic timing make the Hétu Variations I work never tire of. Marc-André Hamelin has also played this piece:


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

MRJames said:


> A thread with this title should include a mention of Ann Southam -
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Southam
> 
> ...


My reaction upon hearing the recording _5: Music of Ann Southam_, Returnings II in B Flat, by Eve Egoyan, pianist.

"Walking through a mysterious forest of cadences to the measured pace of a tolling drone. Returnings and closings. There is a slight sway in the triple meter. The B-flat major chords are in harmonic series spacing. Serenity and spirit here."


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

Oscar Morawetz (1919-2007) is one of the most performed and recorded Canadian composers. Born in Czechoslovakia, he came to Canada in 1940 after escaping the Nazi rulers. What moves me in his Suite for Piano is a sustained edgy sense that is musically engaging, but that may also relate to memories of Europe. The Prelude erupts into dissonance, and later suggests an ominous march. Then a Nocturne that builds to a crisis and dissolves into ambiguity. In the Dance Slavic irregular meters are mixed and disrupted. The Suite for Piano (1968) was recorded by pianist Angela Hewitt in 2021 on Centrediscs. It has also been recorded by Antonin Kubalek, and perhaps best of all was a scintillating performance by Anton Kuerti that I heard in 1972.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

Comments on the compositions posted, and your own additions and suggestions would be welcome. Concerning the repertoire, there are neoromantic and popular-influenced pieces that could be included too.

To me the composer and work, together with listeners' preferences and comments, are the main focus of this thread. However, if anyone feels that more background and context are needed please let me know. Prodromides' suggestion to expand the scope beyond solo piano music might be the best way to go, but my time is too limited for that. Ideas about what people are most interested in would be helpful.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

Harry Somers (1925-1999) and John Beckwith (1927- ) are two of the best-known Toronto-based composers. Both have been prolific in the areas of vocal music and opera as well as music for instruments, among which the piano appears frequently. The three-movement Fifth Piano Sonata (1957) of Harry Somers is a unique work -- pithy and pared down yet full of interesting ideas. Here it is played by Czech-Canadian pianist Antonin Kubalek on a Centrediscs recording:














John Beckwith's series of Etudes (1983) addresses challenges specific to 20th and 21st-century music; here are nos. 5 (Harp) and 6 (Clusters and Chords) recorded by Canadian pianist Jane coop on Centrediscs:


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

The Ballade for Piano (1978) by Canadian composer Jacques Hétu (1938-2010) has long struck me as a dark work, with somber descending tritones embedded in the accompaniment to the slow, expressive opening theme. Over time I've noticed anguish in this melody, with tension building as it is repeated and extended into higher registers. The work is sectional with alternating slow (A) and fast (B) sections, the latter bursting open with a rapid and harrowing downward-cascading passage that recurs. It seems to me a much more dissonant version of what happens, shockingly, after the lilting refrain that opens Chopin's Ballade No. 2 in F Major. The Hétu continues (as does the Chopin) with varied versions of the A and B sections till it ends exhausted. I don't know if the composer ever commented about Chopin, but his titles for other solo piano works - Fantaisie (1996), Impromptu (2003) - are suggestive. Charles Foreman recorded the composition on a Centrediscs release.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

_Étude de sonorité no. 2_ by François Morel (1924-2018) has been a ubiquitous 20th-century piece in Canadian piano recitals, competitions, and exams for decades. The up-tempo percussive opening and low-register descending blues line are irresistible, along with sophisticated harmony later on. I also like Morel's post-impressionist _Étude de sonorité No. 1_; the pair _Deux études de sonorité_ (1954) follow:






I wish that François Morel had composed more for solo piano over his long career. _Visions pour piano_ (2014) shows the stylistic distance he had travelled since _Deux études_, but also displays a certain consistency of outlook. He was dedicated to upholding French musical developments of the 20th century and beyond. Through his university teaching and work with Radio-Canada, he contributed greatly to the development of that area in Quebec musical life.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

I will not be posting regularly on this thread anymore. I will however make another post with information and resources for those interested in Canadian classical music. 

It seems that Prodromides was right in his prediction that, based on his own experience, this one wouldn't fly in terms of responses from other TalkClassical participants. 

One thing that has emerged for me from this work is that the two Canadian composers whose piano compositions I like best are also the two that I spent the most time on, both in person and with their music -- Jean Coulthard and Jacques Hétu. There are also some similarities in musical style between certain of their works and the music I composed from around 1975-1990. It could be described as modernism with romantic leanings. As one gets older it sometimes seems that what you've done over a long period of time is "all over the place." But that doesn't seem to be the case here.


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## maladie (Oct 14, 2015)

Dear Roger, please continue to post as this is a fascinating thread. Although I'm Canadian, I've lived in Europe for almost 15 years and my interest in classical music and composition only started after that so it is interesteing to listen to these composers.

Although this piece is well known, I do think it's fantastic and worth mentioning again. Vivier's Shiraz from 1977 is a fantastic piece. It's heartbreaking how his life ended so tragically and early.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

maladie said:


> Dear Roger, please continue to post as this is a fascinating thread. Although I'm Canadian, I've lived in Europe for almost 15 years and my interest in classical music and composition only started after that so it is interesteing to listen to these composers.
> 
> Although this piece is well known, I do think it's fantastic and worth mentioning again. Vivier's Shiraz from 1977 is a fantastic piece. It's heartbreaking how his life ended so tragically and early.


Thanks so much for your interest, maladie! OK, I'll go ahead and proceed with the thread ... Yes, _Shiraz _is fantastic and thanks for posting it. I didn't know Claude Vivier, but did see him at concerts and meetings a few times. I remember him in a large group of composers travelling to a festival -- most of them were into small talk but Vivier wanted us to look at scores and pulled out a couple of his own. He was a deeply serious artist who developed rapidly, and while he was alive I had no idea of the creative journey he was on.


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## maladie (Oct 14, 2015)

I read his biography while on a remote island in the Arctica in 2021. It was a riveting read to put it mildly. I knew of some of his music, and had seen the documentary on him but this was something else. Since then I've dug more into some of his scores and music. 

I remember hearing a piece from the young composer James O'Callaghan which I believe was 4 hands piano for children that was quite fun as well.


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