Martenot

Martenot

Martenot. Method of music education created by the French pedagogue Maurice Martenot (b Paris 1898, d there 1980), the inventor of the ondes Martenot. The method's principles were introduced to Quebec in 1954 in the training of kindergarten teachers at the Institut pédagogique of the Congregation of Notre-Dame, Montreal. The method endeavours to make teachers aware of the considerable differences, from the educational point of view, between the elements that give material form to music and music itself. Its purpose is 'to liberate, nurture, and respect the creative essence of life while instilling the necessary techniques.' It is concerned as much with developing the personal qualities of its practitioners as with imparting a teaching method. According to Martenot, the fundamental principles of music education may be applied to art and dance as well as to solfège and piano. Based on the 'three Montessori steps' - imitation, recognition, and reproduction - they are in complete contrast to traditional methods in that they analyse the evolution of learning from sense perception to the acquisition of knowledge.

From 1965 to 1971 Martenot gave instruction in these principles, tailored to the development of musical aptitudes for application in solfège in the classroom, in teacher training sessions at the École normale de musique in Montreal. The aspect of the method dealing specifically with the piano was taught by his sister Ginette Martenot (b Paris 1902) at the Laval University summer course five times between 1959 and 1971.

The Martenot method is known mainly in France, Spain, and Portugal, but is taught also in Quebec and South America. An advanced Martenot diploma is granted in France; in Quebec study certificates were given by the École normale de musique. By 1980, in its music education program, UQAM was offering courses on several methods of teaching music, including Martenot's. Instructors in the method may obtain the author's two basic volumes, Les Principes fondamentaux d'éducation musicale et leur application and Se relaxer (Paris 1977), as well as five LPs of the Jeux musicaux Martenot (La Pléiade P-3107-11), solfège books, and instructional material. Martenot pedagogical material is published by the Éditions Magnard. The teaching of solfège at the Preparatory School of Music at UQAM and affiliated schools is based on Martenot pedagogy and instructional material. Among Maurice Martenot's Canadian pupils are Jean Laurendeau and Gilles Tremblay.