Louis Chartier

Chartier, Louis

Louis Chartier. Baritone, teacher, fl 1914-30. In 1914 he was one of the students at the La Palme-Issaurel studio. He was a soloist at Notre-Dame Church in Montreal, and he gave a concert with Hercule Lavoie in Verdun, near Montreal. He sang 1920-1 in Detroit, Burlington, Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester, and also in the large theatres and cinemas of Montreal. A member of the Société canadienne d'opérette, he distinguished himself in Cavalleria Rusticana at the Monument national. It is known that in April 1923 he was a soloist in two performances of Franck's Les Béatitudes with the Association chorale Brassard at Aeolian Hall in New York. He also sang 20 Sep 1923 at Windsor Hall in Montreal with the cellist Yvette Lamontagne and the pianist Wilfrid Pelletier. The impresario J.-Albert Gauvin presented him in recital in September 1926 at the Auditorium de Québec, after which Léo Roy wrote in La Lyre: 'M. Chartier has a solidly-produced voice: his sound "carries," rather than being strained or choked, his breathing is perfectly controlled, his diction is excellent, and his interpretation intelligent'. Chartier then moved to Montreal and opened a studio. He gave a concert 19 Jan 1930 at the cabaret Le Matou botté. He is alleged to have died in the USA about 1970. Chartier recorded 38 songs, arias, and duos for Brunswick, 2 for Melotone, and 38 for Columbia, including several duos with Blanche Gonthier and Madeleine Cardinal. Details may be found in Roll Back the Years.