Jean-Chrysostome Brauneis II

He was the organist at two Montreal churches - Notre-Dame Church 1833-44 and St James Cathedral 18??-57, both at St Denis Street and, after the 1852 fire, at its other locations. He taught music at the Institut des Soeurs de la Congrégation Notre-Dame for 30 years and also at other schools and privately. The Société de Musique which he founded in 1837 was short-lived, but in 1842 he offered courses in vocal music patterned after a German method. He introduced his pupils to the classical repertoire and the piano studies of Clementi, Cramer, and Czerny. A versatile musician, Brauneis taught guitar, harp, violin, voice, and theory, led a band, composed, tuned pianos, and imported instruments. A mass with orchestral accompaniment, though performed with only five instruments on 12 Jul 1835, earned an admiring review in La Minerve. A few pièces d'occasion were published by Lovell & Gibson (Marche de la St. Jean Baptiste, 1848, and probably The Montreal Bazaar Polka, ca 1848), by A. Fiot (The Monklands Polka, 1849; also published by Dubois and by Mead Brothers), and by Brauneis himself (The Royal Welcome Waltzes, 1869, dedicated to Prince Arthur, with individual waltzes named after Canadian cities). Three of these pieces have been reissued in CMH vol 1, and The Royal Welcome Waltzes, in an orchestral arrangement by Charles Cozens, has been recorded by Symphony Nova Scotia (1987, CBC SM-5062). Other dance music is known by title only. Highly regarded as a teacher, Brauneis has been described as a humble and industrious person who was very devoted to his pupils. The young Calixa Lavallée was introduced to Brauneis but did not study with him.