Tanguay, Georges-Émile
Tanguay, Georges-Émile. Composer, organist, teacher, pianist, b Quebec City 5 Jun 1893, d there 24 Nov 1964; lauréat (AMQ). In Quebec City his teachers were Léon J. Dessane and J.-Arthur Bernier, and in Montreal Arthur Letondal and Romain Pelletier. He spent the years 1912-14 in Paris studying organ with Louis Vierne and harmony with Félix Fourdrain. In 1920 he returned there to work with Édouard Mignan (organ), Georges Caussade (harmony and counterpoint), and Simone Plé-Caussade (piano) and to attend Vincent d'Indy's classes at the Schola cantorum. He studied organ with Pietro Yon and Gaston Dethier in New York. Upon his return to Montreal in 1925, he became organist at Immaculée-Conception Church, a position he held for 20 years.
Tanguay taught at the Conservatoire national and in 1943, when the CMM was founded, he was appointed to teach harmony there. He also taught this subject and later organ as well at the University of Montreal. Among his pupils were Marcel Beaulieu, Jeannine Bégin, Léon Bernier, Maurice Blackburn, Marcel Laurencelle, the sisters Gilberte, Marcelle, and Magdeleine Martin, Lucien Martin, P.-E. McCaughan, André Mérineau, Renée Morisset, and Micheline Tessier.
Tanguay composed relatively little, and most of his works were written during the early years of his career. Léo-Pol Morin described his Lied for organ as 'a serious work, more elaborate than those preceding it, displaying the same refined lyricism that has come to characterize this musician' (Papiers de musique, Montreal 1930). The Canadian Music Centre has granted him associate status posthumously. His papers are held at Laval University.
Compositions
Orchestra
Romance. 1915. Vn, harp, orch. Ms
Danseuses devant Aphrodite (arr). Ca 1920. Roudanez
Pavane (arr). 1925. Med orch. RCI Canadian Album No. 2 (J.-M. Beaudet)/CBC SMCD-5090 (Orch métropolitain)
Lied (arr). 1947. Str orch. RCI Canadian Album No. 3 (J.-M Beaudet)
Chamber
Souvenir. Ca 1912. Vc, piano. Durand 1914
Apaisement (arr). Ca 1920. 2 woodwind quintet, harp. Roudanez
Hommage à Couperin (arr). Ca 1920. Cl, bassoon, string quintet. Roudanez
Lied (arr). Ca 1930. Str quartet. Ms
Piano
Gavotte Pompadour. n.d. CMH, vol 6
Air de ballet. Ca 1912. Durand 1913
Menuet. Ca 1912. Durand 1914
Scherzo-Valse. Ca 1912. Durand 1914
Sarabande. Ca 1912. Arch 1916
Causerie. Ca 1912. P-T, 3 Nov 1917
Gavotte et Musette. Ca 1912. P-T, 15 Jul 1916
Pavane. 1914. Ditson 1921. CMH, vol 6
Trois pièces brèves 'Hommage à Couperin', 'Apaisement', 'Danseuses devant Aphrodite.' Ca 1920. Roudanez 1921, CMH, vol 6
Organ
Prayer/Prière. Ca 1918. Ditson 1921, CMH, vol 4
Lied. 1924. Ms
Choral
'Cor Jesu.' 1912. SATB. P-T
'O Salutaris.' 1912. SATB, bar. Bélair 1916
Graduel et Trait (excerpt from Messe de Requiem). 3 men's voices. P-T, 1 Dec 1917
'Cor Jesu.' SATB. L'Action catholique