Champagne (actually, Desparois dit Champagne), Claude (Adonaï)
Champagne (actually, Desparois dit Champagne), Claude (Adonaï)
Champagne (actually, Desparois dit Champagne), Claude (Adonaï), Canadian composer; b. Montreal, May 27, 1891; d. there, Dec. 21, 1965. He studied violin, piano, and composition in Montreal; then went to Paris, where he took courses in composition with Gédalge, Koechlin, and Laparra (1921–28). He then taught at McGill Univ. in Montreal (1932–41). From 1942 to 1962 he served as asst. director of the Conservatoire de Musique du Québec à Montreal. In his music, he followed the modern French tradition.
Works
Hercule et Omphale, symphonic poem (1918; Paris, March 31, 1926); Prélude et Filigrane for Piano (1918); Suite canadienne for Chorus and Orch. (Paris, Oct. 20, 1928); Habanera for Violin and Piano (1929); Danse villageoise for Violin and Piano (1929; also orchestrated); Quadrilha brasileña for Piano (1942); Images du Canada français for Chorus and Orch. (1943; Montreal, March 9, 1947); Evocation for Small Orch. (1943); Gaspesia for Orch. (1944; rev. as Symphonie gaspesienne, 1945); Piano Concerto (1948; Montreal, May 30, 1950); String Quartet (1951); Paysanna for Small Orch. (1953); Suite miniature for Flute, Cello, and Harpsichord (1958; rev. as Concertino grosso for String Orch., 1963); Altitude for Chorus, Orch., and Ondes Martenot (1959; Toronto, April 22, 1960); organ pieces; songs.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire