Duschenes, Mario

Mario Duschenes. Flutist, conductor, teacher, born Altona, near Hamburg, 27 Oct 1923, died Montréal, 31 Jan 2009; prix de virtuosité (Geneva Cons) 1946, honorary LLD (Concordia) 1979. By 1935 he had studied in turn recorder, solfège, and piano. He then became interested in the flute and studied with his father and brothers. He entered the Geneva Cons and completed his training 1943-7 with Henri Gagnebin, André Pépin, Frank Martin, and Isabelle Nef. He won an award at the 1947 International Competition for Musical Performers in Geneva. After several tours in Europe as soloist with the Ars Antiqua Ensemble, he moved to Canada in September 1948. In August 1949 he staged and narrated the Canadian premiere of Stravinsky's L'Histoire du soldat at McGill University.

After settling in Montreal, Duschenes became active in musical life there, mainly as a soloist with the CBC 'Little Symphonies' orchestra, the Pro Musica Society, the McGill Chamber Orchestra, the Casavant Society, and Musica Antica e Nuova. He appears on an LP made by members of the latter society. He was co-founder in 1953 of the CAMMAC Music Centre, where he taught for many years, and he has taught 1954-70 at McGill University and 1970-3 at the University of Montreal. He was co-founder in 1957 of the Baroque Trio of Montreal. Conductor of young people's matinées for the Quebec Symphony Orchestra (1969-73), the MSO (1970-81) and the NACO (1973-88), he assumed similar positions with theTS in 1976 and at the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in 1985. He also conducted the Concerts-midi at PDA (1973-85). In 1985 he was appointed director of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared on the podium of major Canadian orchestras as guest conductor and has also been invited to conduct the New Zealand SO (1987, 1989, 1990). An expert in the Carl Orff teaching method, he became a member in 1974 of the advisory board of the association Music for Children Carl Orff Canada. He was national president 1983-5 of JMC. His contribution to music appreciation was underlined by Jamie Portman, who wrote in The Gazette (Montreal, 7 Dec 1978) that Duschenes 'is probably doing more for the image of young people's concerts than anyone else in Canada'.

Duschenes is the author of numerous widely distributed works published by BMI Canada and later by Berandol, notably Method for the Recorder I (1957) and II (1962) for soprano or alto (issued in French as Méthode de flüte à bec I, 1962, and II, 1968), School Recorder Method (1957) for soprano and alto together (issued in French as La Flûte à bec à l'école, 1973), and Studies in Recorder Playing (1960). He has edited or written easy duos and trios, studies for alto recorder, and adaptations or arrangements of works from the renaissance and baroque periods, of Bach (1960), and of Leopold Mozart. Duschenes was awarded the Canadian Music Council Medal in 1978 and the prize of the Concert Society of the Jewish People's Schools and Peretz Schools in 1980. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1985.

Discography
As Flutist

Albinoni Sonata, Opus 6, no. 6. K. Jones harpsichord. 1960. Vox 514320

The Art of Mario Duschenes. K. Jones Rondo for solo flute - Bodinus - Telemann - et al. 1969. Orion ORS-6911/Sel CC-15.066.

Bach Concerto in F. Goldberg recorder, Beckensteiner harpsichord, Paillard Chamb O, Paillard conductor. 1958. Erato STE-50003/5-Mus H Soc 1024-1028/Mus H Soc MHS-535

Handel 4 Flute Sonatas. K. Jones harpsichord. 1960. Vox STPL-516.340/Turnabout CTC-32006

- 8 Flute Sonatas. K. Jones harpsichord. (1963). 2-Vox SVUX-52021

Handel - Locatelli - Telemann. Rampal fl, Larrieu fl, Veyron-Lacroix harpsichord. 1958.Erato LDE-3126/Mus H Soc MHS-556

K. Jones Rondo for solo flute. 1966. RCI 219, RCA CCS-1013/5-ACM 24

Recorder Music Old and New: Byrd - Frescobaldi - K. Jones - et al. Duschenes Rec Quar. 1965. Bar BC-1857

Sammartini - Quantz - Telemann - Loeillet: Sonatas for flute, recorder, and harpsichord. Rampal fl, Veyron-Lacroix harpsichord. 1957. Erato EFM-42.037

Sonatas for Two Flutes or for Recorder and Flute. Telemann - Bodinus - et al. Rampal fl. 1966. Bar SC-2855/4-Everest SDBR-3194-3197. Misc selections on Orion ORS-7149, 73114, 75199/Sine Qua Non SAS-2025, SQN-7786, 7781/Ember ECL-9040/Everest 3299/2 Harmonia Mundi HM2.439.

Telemann Concerto in E Minor. Rampal fl, Paillard Chamb O, Paillard conductor. 1957. Erato EFM-42.038

- Two Concertos. Fonteny violoncello, Paillard Chamb O, Paillard conductor. 1965. Erato STE-50252/Erato STU-70252/Mus H Soc MHS-716

- Sonatas et al. Duschenes recorder, André trumpet, Rampal fl, Pierlot oboe, Chambon oboe, Hongne bassoon, Veyron-Lacroix harpsichord. (1965). Erato EFM-8081/Mus H Soc MHS-754

- Sonatas and Trios. Rampal fl, Veyron-Lacroix harpsichord. 1965. Erato STE-50276

See also Herbert Ruff and Discographies for Baroque Trio of Montreal; H. Bress; K. Gilbert, K. Jones and Montreal String Quartet.

As Conductor
Fiala Suite Concertante. L. Pellerin oboe, CBC Montreal cham orch. 1984. 5-ACM 27

See also Discography for Quebec SO

Author Pierre Rochon

Bibliography

Proulx, Michelle. 'Mario Duschenes began conducting as a student,' MSc, 304, Nov-Dec 1978

Lennon, Maureen. 'Mario Duschenes: more than "the nice man who conducts children's concerts",' TS Magazine, no. 4, 1985-6