Alexander Brott
Alexander Brott, originally named Joël Brod, was a prominent Canadian violinist, conductor, and composer, born in Montreal on March 14, 1915. He showcased his musical talent from an early age, performing on stage at just eleven years old and later training at prestigious institutions such as the McGill Conservatory and Juilliard School. Brott's professional career began with the Montreal Orchestra, where he played during two different periods and eventually served as the concertmaster for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra from 1945 to 1958. A dedicated educator, he taught at McGill University, founded the McGill String Quartet, and was influential in the development of many aspiring musicians.
Brott composed over one hundred works throughout his career, including orchestral and chamber music, and was known for introducing Canadian compositions to European audiences in the late 1940s. His contributions to music earned him several accolades, including the Canadian Music Council Medal and recognition as a Member of the Order of Canada. Brott married fellow musician Lotte Goetzel, and their legacy continues with their two sons, who also became professional musicians. He passed away at the age of ninety on April 1, 2005, leaving a lasting impact on the Canadian music scene.
Alexander Brott
Conductor and composer
- Born: March 14, 1915
- Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec
- Died: April 1, 2005
- Place of death: Montreal, Quebec
Contribution: Alexander Brott was an accomplished Canadian conductor, composer, and professor. He was a major supporter of classical music in his native Canada, especially music written by fellow Canadians. During his career, Brott founded the McGill Chamber Orchestra, served as concertmaster of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and taught at McGill University in Montreal. As a composer, he successfully completed more than one hundred pieces. Among the most influential Canadian musicians of his time, Brott made it his life’s work to introduce people across Canada to the aesthetics of classical music.
Early Life and Education
Alexander Brott was born Joël Brod in Montreal on March 14, 1915. He began studying music and playing the violin at an early age, training with Canadian violinist Alfred De Sève, and first performed on the vaudeville stage at just eleven years of age. As a young teen, Brott sought to continue his musical education and enrolled at the McGill Conservatory, where he studied violin and composition between 1929 and 1934. Following his stint at the McGill Conservatory, Brott moved on to the Juilliard School, where he continued to study violin and composition as well as chamber music. By the time he had finished his education, Brott was considered an accomplished musician.
Professional Career and Achievements
Outside of his early vaudeville performances, Brott’s professional career began while he studied at the McGill Conservatory. It was during this time that he began his first of two periods playing with the Montreal Orchestra, from 1930 to 1934. After making his first exit from the orchestra, Brott appeared in a series of solo performances across Canada and on Canadian radio. He returned to the Montreal Orchestra in 1939 and continued playing there until 1941.
In 1939, Brott began a teaching career at McGill University, where he taught violin, conducting, and orchestration and founded the McGill String Quartet. In 1955, he assumed responsibility for the department of orchestral instruments. He continued to play an active role at the university until his retirement in 1980.
In 1945, Brott became the concertmaster for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, a position he remained in until 1958. During and following this tenure with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, he also served as assistant conductor on several different occasions. Following a hand injury that ultimately ended his time as an active violinist, Brott turned his attention toward composing. Over the course of his extended professional career, Brott composed more than one hundred different works, including orchestral pieces, chamber music, Judaic (classical Jewish) compositions, solo piano pieces, and more.
Throughout his decades-long career, Brott appeared on stages across Canada and around the world as a performing violinist, composer, and conductor with many different orchestras and symphonies. Notably, in the late 1940s, he went on a European tour, becoming the first Canadian conductor to present original Canadian compositions on that continent.
In recognition of his accomplishments, Brott received numerous awards and commendations, including the Canadian Music Council Medal (1976) and the Arnold Bax Commonwealth Medal (1961). He was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts of London (1961), a Member of the Order of Canada (1979), and Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Québec (1987).
Personal Life
In 1943, Brott married Lotte Goetzel, who played alongside him as a cellist in the McGill String Quartet. Their two sons, Boris and Denis, also became professional musicians. Brott died at the age of ninety on April 1, 2005.
Principal Works
Oracle, 1938
Invocation and Dance, 1941
Songs of Contemplation, 1945
Vignettes en caricature, 1952
A Royal Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, 1953
Sept for Seven, 1954
Spheres in Orbit, 1960
Profundum praedictum, 1964
La corriveau, 1966
Paraphrase in Polyphony, 1967
The Emperor’s New Clothes, 1970
How Thunder and Lighting Came to Be, 1972
Millennium sinfonietta, 2002
Bibliography
“Alexander Brott.” A Tribute to the Great Montrealers. Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, 2012. Web. 28 July 2013.
Brott, Alexander, and Betty Nygaard King. Alexander Brott: My Lives in Music. Oakville: Mosaic, 2005. Print.
Helmer, Paul. “Rebuilding Canada’s Post-Secondary Music Education System.” Growing with Canada: The Émigré Tradition in Canadian Music. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s UP, 2009. 98–136. Print.
Keillor, Elaine. Music in Canada: Capturing Landscape and Diversity. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s UP, 2008. Print.
Stubley, Eleanor V, ed. Compositional Crossroads: Music, McGill, Montreal. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s UP, 2008. Print.