Violet Archer
Violet Archer | |
---|---|
Born | Violet Balestreri 24 April 1913 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
Died | 21 February 2000 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | (aged 86)
Education |
|
Occupation(s) | Composer, teacher, pianist, organist, and percussionist |
Awards | Order of Canada, 1983 |
Violet Louise Archer[1] CM (24 April 1913 – 21 February 2000) was a Canadian composer, teacher, pianist, organist, and percussionist. Born Violet Balestreri in Montreal, Quebec, in 1913, her family changed their name to Archer in 1940. She died in Ottawa on 21 February 2000.[2]
Education and teaching career
Archer earned a
Musical career
Archer built a career as a musician and composer in addition to her teaching. She played percussion with the Montreal Women's Symphony Orchestra from 1940 to 1947,[6] a time period when major municipal orchestras were not admitting women to their ranks.[7] In addition to percussion, Archer played clarinet and strings,[8] and worked in Montréal as an accompanist and organist.[6] As a composer, Archer's prolific work of more than 330 compositions included traditional and more contemporary works for instrument and voice.[2] Examples of her wide-ranging work include a 1973 comic opera, Sganarelle, the film score for a 1976 documentary, Someone Cares, and experiments with electronic music.[6] Her music includes some 90 compositions for novice musicians, written to acquaint performers and audiences with modern concepts of harmony, melody, and rhythm.[6]
Awards and honours
Archer has received honorary degrees from McGill University (1971), University of Windsor (1986), University of Calgary (1989), Mount Allison University (1992), and University of Alberta (1993).[9] In 1983, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada.[10][11]
In 1985 the three day Violet Archer Festival was held in Edmonton where 14 of her works were performed.[9] This festival is credited as being first festival to honour a living Canadian composer.[12] She is memorialized at Violet Archer Park in the Parkallen neighbourhood of Edmonton.[12] In Calgary, the Prairie Region of Canadian Music Centre Library is home to The Violet Archer Library which holds over 20,000 scores.[13][14]
In 2021, Violet Archer fonds held at University of Alberta Archives was added to the Canada Memory of the World Register.[15]
The Canadian indie rock band The Violet Archers is named for Archer.[16]
Image Gallery
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Violet Archer, age 4. Source: University of Alberta Archives
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Violet Archer age 11 with her parents. Source: University of Alberta Archives
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Violet Archer on graduation day, Yale University. Source: University of Alberta Archives
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Violet Archer with friends at Yale University. Source: University of Alberta Archives
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Violet Archer at the piano. Source: University of Alberta Archives
Selected works
- 3 Concerti, Archer Piano Concerto, Christina Petrowska Quilico, piano, CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, conductor, Centrediscs(CMCCD)15610
- Women Composers for Organ, Barbara Harbach. Peterborough, NH: Gasparo Records (294), 2006.[17]
- Ovation, Volume 2. Toronto: CBC Records (PSCD 2027-5), 2002.[18]
- Canadian Composers Portraits. Toronto: Centrediscs, (CMCCD 8502) 2002.[19]
- Sinfonietta (CBC Vancouver Chamber Orchestra, John Avison, conductor)
- Trio no. 2 (The Hertz Trio)
- String Quartet no. 3 (University of Alberta String Quartet)
- The Bell (CBC Chorus and Orchestra, Geoffrey Waddington, conductor)
- Northern Landscapes – A Tribute to Violet Archer, Sarah Muir and Ann Nichols, performers with the Columbian Girls Choir and Chanteuses. Edmonton, 1997.[20]
- Surrealistic Portraiture Kenneth Fischer, saxophone, Martha Thomas, piano. Atlanta: ACA Digital (ACD 20036), 2001.[21]
- By a Canadian Lady – Piano Music 1841–1997, Elaine Keillor, piano. Ottawa: Carleton Sound CD1006, 2000.[22]
- Assemblage, Charles Foreman, piano. Calgary: Unical (CD9501), 1995?.[23]
- NORTHERN ARCH, various artists, Edmonton: Arktos Recordings (ARK 94001), 1994.[24]
- Soliloquies for changing Bb and A clarinets (performed by Dennis Prime)
- CROSSROADS, James Campbell, clarinet. Toronto: Centrediscs / Centredisques (CMCCD 4392), 1992.[25]
- Ballade, Charles Foreman, piano. Toronto: Centrediscs, (CMCCD 1684), 1991.[26]
- Hertz Trio. Calgary: Unical Records, 1991.[27]
Songs
- "À la claire fontaine" (SA and Piano) – Berandol Music
See also
References
- ^ Sanderson, Kay (1999). 200 Remarkable Alberta Women. Calgary: Famous Five Foundation. p. 86. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24.
- ^ a b Keillor, Elaine; Nygaard King, Betty; Kallman, Helmut (4 March 2015). "Violet Archer". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
- ^ a b c d e
The Historica Dominion Institute. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- ^ Violet Archer Fonds Finding Aid Archived 2005-10-29 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Obituary: Violet Archer | Independent, The (London) | Find Articles at BNET.com[dead link]
- ^ a b c d "Violet Archer". Choral Music Composed by Canadian Women. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
- ^ "Montreal Women's Symphony Orchestra/Symphonie féminine de Montréal | The Canadian Encyclopedia". thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
- ^ "Obituary: Violet Archer". Independent [London, England]. 9 March 2000.
- ^ a b Keillor, Elaine; Nygaard King, Betty; Kallmann, Helmut (March 4, 2015). "Violet Archer | The Canadian Encyclopedia". thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
- ^ Order of Canada citation
- ^
Schreyer, Edward Richard (30 April 2009). "Violet B. Archer, C.M., D.Mus". archive.gg.ca. Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- ^ ISBN 9780888644237.
- ^ "Canadian Music Centre – Prairie Region Library Research Guide". library.ucalgary.ca. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
- ^ "Canadian Music Centre – Prairie". Musiccentre.ca. Archived from the original on 2012-02-03. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
- ^ UNESCO, Canadian Commission for. "The Canada Memory of the World Register Lists Three New Collections". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
- ^ "See: "our namesake"". Thevioletarchers.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-10. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
- ^ "Women Composers For Organ – Amy Beach, et al. / Harbach Classical". Cduniverse.com. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
- ^ "Canadian Music Centre — About the CMC". Musiccentre.ca. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
- ^ "Violet Archer. Canadian Composers Portraits". Yorku.ca. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
- ^ "Canadian Music Centre – About the CMC". Musiccentre.ca. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
- ^ "Surrealistic Portraiture / Kenneth Fischer, Thomas – ACA Digital – ACD 20036 – – HBDirect Classical". Hbdirect.com. 2001-04-01. Archived from the original on 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
- ^ de:Elaine Keillor
- ^ "Canadian Music Centre – About the CMC". Musiccentre.ca. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
- ^ Northern Arch – CD Archived 2006-10-20 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Canadian Music Centre – About the CMC". Musiccentre.ca. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
- ^ "Canadian Music Centre – About the CMC". Musiccentre.ca. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
- ^ "Canadian Music Centre". Musiccentre.ca. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
External links
- University of Alberta Archives – Violet Archer Fonds (28 m of textual records. – ca. 750 sounds recordings. – 18 video cassettes. – 20 art works. – 2420 graphic materials.)
- University of Calgary Special Collections – Violet Archer fonds. (0.525 m of textual records.)
- Music of Violet Archer