Saint-Marcoux, Micheline Coulombe

Saint-Marcoux, Micheline Coulombe , Canadian composer and teacher; b. Notre-Dame-de-la-Doré, Quebec, Aug. 9, 1938; d. Montreal, Feb. 2, 1985. After training with François Brassard (piano and harmony) in Jonquière, Quebec (1956–58), she went to Montreal and pursued studies with Yvonne Hubert (piano), Françoise Aubut (theory), and Claude Champagne (composition) at the École Vincent-d’Indy (B.Mus., 1962). She continued her training with Tremblay and Pépin at the Montreal Cons., taking the premier prix in composition in 1967. That same year, she won the Prix d’Europe for her orch. score Modulaire. In 1968 she went to Paris and studied electronic music with the Groupe de recherches musicales of the ORTF and received training from Schaeffer at the Cons. She also studied privately with Amy and Guézec. In 1969 she was a founder of the Groupe international de musique electroacoustique de Paris. In 1971 she returned to Montreal and helped organize the Ensemble Polycousmie, which was dedicated to experimenting with electronic techniques in combination with percussion and dance. From 1971 to 1984 she taught at the Montreal Cons. In a number of her works, she applied serial techniques.

Works

DRAMATIC : Tel qu’en Lemieux, film score (1973); Comment Wang-Fô fut sauvé, incidental music (1983); Transit, musical theater (1984). ORCH.: Modulaire for Orch. and Ondes Martenot (1967; Montreal, March 31, 1968); Hétéro-morphie (1969; Montreal, April 14, 1970); Luminance (1978). CHAMBER: Évocations doranes for Piccolo, 3 Flutes, Oboe, and Clarinet (1964); Flute Sonata (1964); String Quartet (1966); Équation I for 2 Guitars (1968); Séquences for 2 Ondes Martenot and Percussion (1968; rev. 1973); Trakadie for Percussion and Tape (1970); Épisode II for 3 Percussion (1972); Genesis for Wind Quintet (1975); Miroirs for Harpsichord and Tape (1975); Regards for 3 Winds, Harp, Piano, Percussion, 3 Strings, and Tape (1978); Mandala I for Flute, Oboe, Cello, Piano, and Percussion (1980); Intégration I for Cello (1980) and II for Violin (1980); Composition I for Horn (1981); Horizon I for Flute (1981) and II for Oboe (1981); Étreinte for 3 Ondes Martenot (1984). Piano: Suite Doréane (1961); Variations (1963); Kaleidoscope (1964); Assemblages (1969); Mandala II (1980). VOCAL: Chanson d’automne for Soprano or Tenor, Flute, Violin and Piano (1963; rev. 1966); Wing Tra La for Chorus and 6 Performers (1964); Makazoti for 8 Voices, 4 Winds, 2 Strings, and Percussion (1971); Alenerà for Mezzo-soprano, 8 Instruments, Tape, and Lights (1973); Ishuma for Soprano and 9 Instruments (1974); Moments for Soprano, Flute, Viola, and Cello (1977); Gésode I for Soprano and Piano (1981) and II for Tenor and Piano (1981). electroacoustic: Bernavir (1970); Arksalalartôq (Paris, Feb. 26, 1971); Contrastâmes (1971); Moustieres (1971); Zones (1972); Constellation I (1980).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire