Michel Longtin has taught
composition since 1986 at the UniversitŽ de MontrŽal’s Faculty of Music, where
he was AndrŽ Provost’s student from 1968 to 1975. He says, “At the time, people
had their own way of being melodic and rhythmic, but a PrŽvost always
stood out. It was never in PrŽvost’s nature to treat a composition blandly; his
music is not subdued. It has traits that are recognisable from one creation to
another, without being redundant. I have great regard for several of his
pieces,” emphasizes Longtin. Above all, PrŽvost’s style distinguishes itself by
its rhythm, as in the movement beginnings from Diallle (1986), or by the
opening of ChorŽographie I (1973). I’m also referring to his approach in
Pyknon (1968) where certain rhythmic spaces are very characteristic of
his language. Equally distinctive is the melodic aspect, as in
ƒvanescence (1970), Le Conte de l’oiseau (1979), his string
quartets, and both his concertos for violin and cello.”
“Provost influenced several current composers who were his students,” asserts
Longtin, who remains sceptical as to the true scope of such an influence on the
contemporary Quebec music scene. “The society in which we live,” he explains,
“doesn’t allow for any predictions as to the long-term survival of great
composers such as PrŽvost. But he was positively infectious! In 1967, on the eve
of my entrance to the Department of Science, I had the misfortune of visiting
him. It certainly wasn’t the greatest idea for a future chemist because it
really shook up my molecules!” says a straight-faced Longtin. “His score of
Terre des Hommes impressed me so much that when I left I said to myself,
I want to be a composer. I had done two months of chemistry and I transferred
into music.”
A sample of his scores can be downloaded with the PDF version of the magazine
<www.scena.org>.
[Translated by Deborah Kramer]
