Noël Ferdinand Lionel Daunais, (December 31, 1901 – July 18, 1982) was a French Canadian baritone and composer.
Life Born in Montreal, Quebec, Daunais studied singing with Céline Marier and harmony and composition with Oscar O'Brien. In 1923, he won first prize at the Montreal Musical Festival. He made his professional opera debut in January 1926 as Ourrias in Charles Gounod's Mireille at the Orpheum in Vancouver. The following March he gave his first recital at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.Lionel Daunais at The Canadian Encyclopedia
Daunais was also awarded the Prix d'Europe in 1926 which provided him with the opportunity to pursue studies in Paris with Émile Marcellin at the Opéra-Comique. In 1929, he joined the roster of principal artists at the Opera of Algiers. With that company he sang several leading roles, including Escamillo in Carmen, Figaro in The Barber of Seville, Giorgio Germont in La traviata, Lescaut in Manon, and Valentin in Faust.
Upon his return to Canada in 1930, Daunais performed with the Bytown Troubadours at the third annual CPR Festivals in Quebec City. At the festival he also portrayed Samuel de Champlain in Healey Willan's The Order of Good Cheer. Later that year he made his debut with the Société canadienne d'opérette in Montreal as Clément Marot in André Messager's La Basoche. He performed frequently with that company through 1935.
In 1932, Daunais founded the Trio lyrique (TL) whose original members also included contralto Anna Malenfant and tenor Ludovic Huot. Jules Jacob replaced Huot in the early 1940s. Daunais recruited pianist and composer Allan McIver to serve as the group's accompanist and arranger. All of the arrangements performed during the TL's performance history were by McIver, including arrangements of many of Daunais's compositions.
In 1933, the TL was engaged by CRBC for its network series One Hour with You, on which the group performed for 87 weeks. In 1934, the TL released the LP album Chansons de Lionel Daunais for Radio Canada International. In 1936, the group performed for the CBS radio network in New York where McIver was also engaged as a staff arranger. The TL continued to perform actively in public concerts and on CBC Radio programs like The Play of the Week, Light Up and Listen. and Serenade for Strings up until the mid-1960s when it disbanded. The group re-united briefly in the autumn of 1971 for CBC broadcasts honoring Daunais and his work. In 1984, the album Le Trio lyrique chante Lionel Daunais was released; containing music from the ensemble's many radio broadcasts.
Honours In 1965, he was awarded the Bene merenti de patria. In 1977, he was awarded the Calixa-Lavallée Award. In 1978, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 1982, he was awarded the Prix Denise-Pelletier.
Discography (as a composer)
12 Chansonshttps://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/fr/article/daunais-lionel%20The%20Canadian%20Encyclopedia Lionel Daunais, baritone John Newmark, piano Radio-Canada International, RCI 107 1954
Transcription: Lionel Daunais Bruno Laplante, baritone Louis-Philippe Pelletier, piano Radio-Canada International, RCI 294 1971
D'amour et de fantaisie Lionel Daunais, baritone John Newmark, piano Sélect, CC-15.087 1974
Chansons de mon pays Ensemble Vocal Katimavik André Beaumier, choir conductor Société Nouvelle d'Enregistrement, SNE 502 1979 (1977?)
Anna Malenfant chante Lionel Daunais Anna Malenfant, contralto Janine Lachance, piano Société Nouvelle d'Enregistrement, SNE 511 1984
Lionel Daunais chante Lionel Daunais Lionel Daunais, baritone Janine Lachance and John Newmark, piano Société Nouvelle d'Enregistrement, SNE 512 1984
Le Trio Lyrique chante Lionel Daunais Trio Lyrique Allan McIver, piano Société Nouvelle d'Enregistrement, SNE 513 1984
Le Bestiaire Christine Lemelin, mezzo-soprano Réjean Coallier, piano Société Nouvelle d'Enregistrement, SNE 565 1990
Lionel Daunais : L'hommage de ses interprètes Lionel Daunais, baritone Anna Malenfant, contralto Trio Lyrique Janine Lachance and John Newmark, piano Box set, 5 CDs Fonovox, VOX-7839-2 1997
Airs Chantés – Fantaisie dans tous les tons Hélène Guilmette, soprano Delphine Bardin, piano Ambroisie, AMB 9971 2004
Le petit chien de laine Various performers Illustrated Book and CD La Montagne Secrète 2005
Lionel Daunais : Fantaisie dans tous les tons Chantal Lavigne, soprano Anne-Lise Longuemare, piano Atma Classique, ACD2 1016 2009
Hommage à Lionel Daunais Quatuor Kevoixsi CD Baby 5637680983 2010
75 ans 75 chansons – Radio-Canada 1936-2011 Box set, 5 CDs Disques SRC 2011
La tourtière Jacqueline Woodley, soprano Annina Haug, mezzo-soprano Pierre Rancourt, baritone Marc Bourdeau, piano & arrangement CentreTracks, CD-CMCCT 11822 2022 (4 February)
Le voyage de noces Pierre Rancourt, baritone Marc Bourdeau, piano & arrangement CentreTracks, CD-CMCCT 11922 2022 (4 March)
Chanson des amours perdues Jacqueline Woodley, soprano Marc Bourdeau, piano CentreTracks, CD-CMCCT 12022 2022 (18 March)
LIONEL DAUNAIS mélodies . songs Jacqueline Woodley, soprano Annina Haug, mezzo-soprano Pierre Rancourt, baritone Michel Bellavance, flute Marc Bourdeau, piano & arrangement CentreDiscs, CD-CMCCD 30122 2022 (1 April)
See also In Good Company album
References