I was 14 when I first met Monsieur Letendre at the Séminaire Saint-Hyacinthe. At this age, one cannot evaluate the stature of a genius, but one suspects it from his contact. I am sure today that I met, in this uncontested master, a genius like Galileo whose work was not recognized, he was even excommunicated, and the same treatment was given to M. Letendre because his teaching of musical grammar upset traditional norms. One could also compare him to Copernicus, since he put order in this universal language of music.

  The only universal languages are mathematics and music. The universality of mathematics is in its concept of UNITY. A message was sent into space, neither in French nor in English, but a bip bip, which represented this concept of UNITY. If there are intelligent beings in the univers around us, they will understand that intelligent beings sent this message. The other universal language, MUSIC, must also have a unique base of comprehension.

  I discovered the structure of music thanks to M. Letendre. I followed his harmony classes at the Université de Montréal. All was perfectly clear, a name for each chord, a sign for each function of the chord: the sign « v » for the root of the chord, this « v » inverted for the fifth of the chord; a « 3 » for the major third of the chord, this same « 3 » in mirror-image for the minor third of the minor chord; an arrow pointing down for the seventh (the motrix sending the chord toward that a fifth lower, example: in C major, the chord of G7 resolving to the chord of C major) ; an arrow pointing up for the sixth (the motrix sending the chord toward that a fifth higher, example: in C major, the chord of F6 resolving to the chord of C major). The chord of Dm7 must resolve to the chord a fifth lower, the chord of G, not to the chord of C, a resolution which is found in all the old harmony textbooks, this chord of Dm with a seventh C which does not move. But if this chord is considered as F6 which is composed of the same notes (D-F-A-C, for the chord of Dm7, and F-A-C-D for the chord of FA6) and which resolves normally to C major, the D acting as motrix to resolve to the chord a fifth higher.

  Besides, if one looks at the complete minor mode, and I specify the diatonic minor mode, with its tonic Am, this tonality will have as dominant, not the chord a fifth higher, but that a fifth lower. With a chord of Dm6, D-F-A-B, the progression will be diatonic without use of the chromatic E-G#-B-D, this G# suggesting a progression to the major chord A-C#-E, in A major. Looking at G7 and Dm6, we find in both these chords the notorious interval F-B, diabolo in musica….It is because of this tritone that one must progress from G7 to Cmaj, and from Dm6 to A minor in the diatonic mode, which imparts a truly minor color and removes all the exceptions, granting the true minor its real place. In short, all chords with a seventh resolve a fifth lower, and all chords with a sixth resolve a fifth higher, eliminating all the exceptions of the old textbooks. It would be pleasant to replace in real minor all the BACH cantatas which end in major and are called minor.

  If one looks at the rhythmic aspect, one notices that many composers do not understand the use of bar-lines. They have the deplorable habit of indiscriminately starting a piece on the first beat without considering beats and offbeats. In one rewrote waltzes by displacing bar-lines by one beat, Strauss would certainly roll over in his grave. All spoken languages have their stressed and unstressed syllables, example: in the word «morning», the accent is on «mor» and not on «ning», if one wants to put it to music, one will place the «mor» on the first beat of a bar where the stress belongs. In the new melodies of « Prions en Église », these errors are common practice, even when words like «Kyrie» are used, where the accent is not on «Ky», but on the «e» of «Kyrie». This little «e» must thus be placed on the first beat and not on the third beat of a four-beat bar. Monsieur Letendre was also a MASTER in this domaine. All the publications of LA BONNE CHANSON were verified by this master and I must also render him all the homage he deserves. I am proud of having followed his classes and his advice. It is interesting to realize that his discoveries remained unknown, that several of his students remained mute. I was able to understand this phenomenon while reading THE PEDAGOGICAL LECTURES of WILLIAM JAMES. After having read the chapter on APERCEPTION, how one learns a new science, I found the answer to my question, very few people learn a new science, after twenty years of age, because old concepts will not be disturbed. Subsequently, I met Michel Perrault to further my learning, which will be the next article or the next testimony.

Marcel Laplante, October 2004