René Harmant, comedian and singer (fl. 1897 - 1912)

René Harmant was the director of a theatre company that came to Quebec in 1897, performing at Sohmer Park, in coffeehouses and theatres. Turning to more conventional entertainment after a municipal edict against the risqué repertory of the coffeehouses, Harmant undertook the management of the Palais Royal, a venue with a capacity of 600. Under pressure from the Ligues de Vertu à Montréal, which campaigned against the questionable morality of contemporary theatre, Harmant and his company left for New York around 1905, where he recorded several titles for Edison. He returned to Montréal in 1912. Among his recordings are "Ils travaillent" and "Je me suis roulé".

For more information on René Harmant's recordings, please consult the Virtual Gramophone database.

Robert Thérien, music researcher, Montréal

References

Thérien, Robert. -- Unpublished research notes

Source