Joseph Quesnel facts for kids
Joseph Quesnel (born November 15, 1746 – died July 2 or 3, 1809) was a talented French Canadian composer, poet, and writer of plays. He wrote two operas, Colas et Colinette and Lucas et Cécile. His opera Colas et Colinette is thought to be the very first Canadian opera, and possibly the first in North America.
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Early Life and Learning
Joseph Quesnel was born in Saint-Malo, France. He was the third child of Isaac Quesnel de La Rivaudais, a successful merchant, and his wife Pélagie-Jeanne-Marguerite Duguen. Joseph went to school at the Collège Saint-Louis in 1766.
Life and Career as an Artist
Quesnel started his career in the French merchant navy. He sailed to many places, including Pondicherry and Madagascar. He also traveled in Africa and the Caribbean. He always carried his violin and enjoyed reading plays by famous French writers.
In 1779, Quesnel was sailing a French warship towards New York. However, the ship was captured by the British. Quesnel was taken to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Later, he was allowed to settle in Boucherville, a town near Montreal, Quebec.
In Boucherville, he married Marie-Josephte Deslandes. He also became a business partner with Maurice-Régis Blondeau, who was his mother-in-law's new husband. Through his business ventures, Quesnel became quite wealthy.
Joseph Quesnel was a very creative person. He wrote several plays for the theater. His most famous play was Colas et Colinette, which he wrote in 1788. It was first performed in 1790. He also wrote another opera called Lucas et Cecile.
Besides plays, Quesnel was also a poet. His best-known poem is "L'Épître à M. Labadie". He composed many songs and wrote sacred music for the church in Montreal. He also wrote a short book about the art of drama in 1805. Quesnel even helped start and was part of a theater group in Montreal called the Théàtre de Societé.
He passed away in Montreal in 1809 from a lung illness called pleurisy. This happened several months after he bravely jumped into the Saint Lawrence River to save a child who was drowning.
Years later, in 1942, a funny opera called Le Père des amours was written about Joseph Quesnel by Eugène Lapierre.
Quesnel's Family
Joseph Quesnel had several children who also became notable. His son, Jules Maurice Quesnel, traveled with the famous explorer Simon Fraser on his journey to the Pacific Ocean. The town of Quesnel, British Columbia is named after Jules Maurice.
Another son, Frédéric-Auguste, became a lawyer and a politician. Joseph's daughter, Mélanie, married a lawyer named Côme-Séraphin Cherrier.
Main Works by Joseph Quesnel
- Colas et Colinette – a musical play (1788)
- Lucas et Cecile – a short opera
- L'Anglomanie – a comedy play written in verse
- Les Républicains Français – a comedy play written in prose
- "L'Épître à M. Labadie" – a poem
See also
In Spanish: Joseph Quesnel para niños
- Music of Canada
