Pierre-Aurèle Asselin

Pierre-Aurèle Asselin (1881 – 1964) was a French Canadian furrier and tenor singer. Asselin came from a musical family; he was the brother of mezzo-soprano Marie-Anne Asselin and great uncle of pianist André Asselin.

Asselin was born in the town of Sainte-Famille on Île d'Orléans in 1881.cite web|url = http://www.collectionscanada.ca/gramophone/m2-1001-e.html|title = Pierre-Aurèle Asselin, tenor (1881-1964)|publisher = Collections Canada] He moved with his family to Montreal around 1901 [cite web|url = http://www.symposiumrecords.co.uk/sym_addenda.html|title = Addenda and Corrigenda|publisher = Symposium Records] , and in 1903 he married Cora Laviolette in Notre-Dame cathedral.

Singing career

Asselin began a career as a furrier soon after his marriage. He would remain a furrier until his retirement. Asselin sang in church for some time, but it would not be until 1916 when he was 35 that he would make his first professional performance. He performed for Ladies' Morning Musical Club of Quebec City, a club devoted to classical music appreciation. He was well received, and within a year had signed a contract with Columbia Records. Under this contract, he recorded arias from French operas, various songs from operettas and other classical songs.

Asselin also gave live performances. In April 1917 he performed in the oratorio Les Sept Paroles du Christ at the Montreal Cathedral. His first solo concert followed that October. He joined the Sociéte nationale d'opéra comique, but it quickly disbanded. In September 1918, he appeared at the Cartier Theatre and the Orpheum Theatre alongside Blanche Gonthier.

Starting in November 1918, Asselin made recordings for the Edison recording label. His recordings were released in several formats, including Royal Purple Grand Opera Cylinder Records 29000 series, the Blue Amberol 27000 cylinder series and the Edison Diamonds 74000 series of disks. Through Edison, Asselin released a variety of recordings of arias and other serious classical works. Asselin continued recording with Edison until December 1920.

In May 1921, Asselin resigned with Columbia Records. He recorded eight songs in New York with them, which included arias by Donizetti, Godard and Massenet, two duets with Guillaume Dupuis using contemporary melodies and a duet with Blanche Gonthier of Sur le lac d'argent by Fauré.

Asselin made his last recording for the Brunswick record company in 1929. Soon after, he disappeared from professional music and focused his efforts on his fur business. Asselin died in Montreal on December 27, 1964, leaving his fur business to his son Raymond.

Recordings

1917
*"Columbia 3069" Side A: Aime-moi by Bemberg (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (3:27) Side B: Noël du mariage by Choudens (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (3:13) [cite web|url = http://catalogue.banq.qc.ca/cgi-bin/bestn?id=%255fzjow%252f%25e2%257dt%252djqnfwwdx=&act=8&auto=0&nov=1&t0=nomu%28e3069&i0=0&s0=5&v1=0&v2=0&v3=0&v4=0&sy=&ey=&scr=1&x=42&y=3|title = Aime-moi [enregistrement sonore] / Bemberg. Noël du mariage / Choudens|publisher = Bibliotèque et Archives nationales]

* "Columbia E3203" Side A: À l'inconnue by Cécile Chaminade (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (3:30) Side B: Madrigal by Cécile Chaminade (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (3:12) [cite web|url = http://catalogue.banq.qc.ca/cgi-bin/bestn?id=%255fzjow%252f%25e2%257dt%252djqnfwwdx=&act=8&auto=0&nov=1&t0=nomu%28e3203&i0=0&s0=5&v1=0&v2=0&v3=0&v4=0&sy=&ey=&scr=1&x=47&y=6|title = Madrigal [enregistrement sonore] ; À linconnue / Chaminade|publisher = Bibliotèque et Archives nationales]

* "Columbia E3213" Side A: Priez, aimez, chantez by Gregh (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (3:10) Side B: Tu me dirais by Chaminade (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (2:50) [cite web|url = http://catalogue.banq.qc.ca/cgi-bin/bestn?id=%255fzjow%252f%25e2%257dt%252djqnfwwdx=&act=8&auto=0&nov=1&t0=nomu%28e3213&i0=0&s0=5&v1=0&v2=0&v3=0&v4=0&sy=&ey=&scr=1&x=53&y=6|title = riez, aimez, chantez [enregistrement sonore] / Gregh. Tu me dirais / Chaminade|publisher = Bibliotèque et Archives nationales]

1918
* "Columbia E3454" Side A: Ouvre à l'amour (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (3:32) Side B: Ivresse d'oiseaux (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (3:18) [cite web|url = http://catalogue.banq.qc.ca/cgi-bin/bestn?id=%255fzjow%252f%25e2%257dt%252djqnfwwdx=&act=8&auto=0&nov=1&t0=nomu%28e3454&i0=0&s0=5&v1=0&v2=0&v3=0&v4=0&sy=&ey=&scr=1&x=41&y=8|title = Ouvre à lamour [enregistrement sonore] ; Ivresse doiseaux / chanté par P.A. Asselin, ténor|publisher = Bibliotèque et Archives nationales]

* "Columbia E3701" Side A: L'adieu du matin by Pessard (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (3:15) Side B: Crédo by Faure (Bass solo in French by J.M. Magnan, with orchestra) (3:26) [cite web|url = http://catalogue.banq.qc.ca/cgi-bin/bestn?id=%255fzjow%252f%25e2%257dt%252djqnfwwdx=&act=8&auto=0&nov=1&t0=nomu%28e3701&i0=0&s0=5&v1=0&v2=0&v3=0&v4=0&sy=&ey=&scr=1&x=55&y=9|title = Ladieu du matin [enregistrement sonore] / Pessard. Crédo / J. Faure|publisher = Bibliotèque et Archives nationales]

* "Edison Blue Amberol 27182" Cantique de Noël by Adolphe Adam (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) [cite web|url = http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr%201=1&query=Asselin&num=1&start=2&sortBy=&sortOrder=ia|title = Cantique de Noël|publisher = Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project, Department of Special Collections, Donald C. Davidson Library, University of California Santa Barbara]

*"Edison Blue Amberol 27183" Madrigal by Cécile Chaminade (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) [cite web|url = http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr%201=1&query=Asselin&num=1&start=4&sortBy=&sortOrder=ia|title = Madrigal|publisher = Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project, Department of Special Collections, Donald C. Davidson Library, University of California Santa Barbara]

1919
*"Edison Blue Amberol 27185" O salutaris by Théodore Salomé (Tenor solo in Latin, with orchestra) [cite web|url = http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr+1=1020&num=1&query=cylinder1316|title = O salutaris|publisher = Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project, Department of Special Collections, Donald C. Davidson Library, University of California Santa Barbara]

*"Edison Blue Amberol 27184" L'adieu du matin by Emile Pessard and Louis Gregh (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) [cite web|url = http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr%201=1&query=Asselin&num=1&start=3&sortBy=&sortOrder=ia|title = L'adieu du matin|publisher = Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project, Department of Special Collections, Donald C. Davidson Library, University of California Santa Barbara]

1920
* "Edison Royal Purple Amberol: 29055" Ah! leve-toi, soleil! from Roméo et Juliette by Charles Gounod [cite web|url = http://wwwl.cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr%201=1016%20&query=royal%20purple&num=1&start=1&sortBy=&sortOrder=id|title = Ah! leve-toi, soleil!|publisher = Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project, Department of Special Collections, Donald C. Davidson Library, University of California Santa Barbara]

1921
* "E7183 Columbia" Side A: Berceuse from the opera Jocelyn (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (2:34) Side B: Sur les bords de la Riviera (Tenor in French, with Baritone Guillaume Dupuis and orchestra) (2:53) [cite web|url = http://catalogue.banq.qc.ca/cgi-bin/bestn?id=%255fzjow%252f%25e2%257dt%252djqnfwwdx=&act=8&auto=0&nov=1&t0=nomu%28e7183&i0=0&s0=5&v1=0&v2=0&v3=0&v4=0&sy=&ey=&scr=1&x=41&y=3|title = Berceuse de Jocelyn [enregistrement sonore] / Godard. Sur la Riviera / Daniderff|publisher = Bibliotèque et Archives nationales]

* "E7195 Columbia" Side A: Ah fuyez, douce image from Manon by Massenet (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (2:56) Side B: Ange si pur from La favorite by Donizetti (Tenor solo in French, with orchestra) (2:46) [cite web|url = http://catalogue.banq.qc.ca/cgi-bin/bestn?id=%255fzjow%252f%25e2%257dt%252djqnfwwdx=&act=8&auto=0&nov=1&t0=nomu%28e7195&i0=0&s0=5&v1=0&v2=0&v3=0&v4=0&sy=&ey=&scr=1&x=51&y=6|title = Manon [enregistrement sonore] : Ah fuyez, douce image / Massenet. La favorite : Ange si pur / Donizetti|publisher = Bibliotèque et Archives nationales]

1922
* "E7208 Columbia" Side A: Sur le lac d'argent by Fauré (Tenor in French, with Soprano Blanche Gauthier, and orchestra) (3:04) Side B: Pour toi by Codini and Courtioux (Tenor solo in French, and orchestra) (3:14) [cite web|url = http://catalogue.banq.qc.ca/cgi-bin/bestn?id=%255fzjow%252f%25e2%257dt%252djqnfwwdx=&act=8&auto=0&nov=1&t0=nomu%28e7208&i0=0&s0=5&v1=0&v2=0&v3=0&v4=0&sy=&ey=&scr=1&x=26&y=5|title = Sur le lac dargent [enregistrement sonore] / Fauré. Pour toi / Codini and Courtioux.|publisher = Bibliotèque et Archives nationales]

References

External links

* [http://www2.bnquebec.ca/musique_78trs/mi9.htm Recordings by Pierre-Aurèle Asselin]