Rodolphe Mathieu

Joseph Rodolphe Mathieu (10 July 1890 – 29 June 1962) was a Canadian composer, pianist, writer on music, and music educator. The Canadian Encyclopedia states, "Considered too avant-garde for his time because of Debussy's influence on his music, Mathieu gained recognition too late to inspire the generation that followed." The pianist Léo-Pol Morin was one of the few important exponents of his work, notably including Mathieu's Chevauchée and Trois Préludes in his concert repertoire. Mathieu's song Un peu d'ombre (1913) was included in a number of recitals given by Marguerite Bériza and Sarah Fischer in Europe.

Born in Grondines, Quebec, Mathieu's parents were farmers. In 1906 he moved to Montreal where he began to study the piano with Alphonse Martin and singing with Céline Marier at the age of 16. Through Marier he met pianist and composer Alfred La Liberté who instilled within him an admiration for the works of Alexander Scriabin. He soon began composing music. His first major work was the choral piece Le Poème de la mer (1908) which he dedicated to Marier. Many of his early piano compositions display a strong influence of Scriabin, including Chevauchée (1911) and Sonata (1927).

Mathieu obtained the post of organist at St-Jean-Berchmans Church in Montreal in 1907. In 1908 he opened his own teaching studio in Montreal which he ran for over the next decade. He also taught at the Conservatoire national de musique. Many of his students became winners of the prestigious Prix d'Europe, including Jean Dansereau, Auguste Descarries, Wilfrid Pelletier, and Ruth Pryce. In 1910 he began studying music composition, the organ, and the piano with Alexis Contant.

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