Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges 1745-1799

The history of European classical music is filled with innumerable stories that seem stranger than fiction. None is more astounding than the life of Chevalier de Saint-Georges, perhaps the first important black composer. Why a blockbuster movie has not yet been made of him is hard to fathom. He was a champion fencer, virtuoso violinist, respected conductor, revolutionary colonel, and master composer. Not only that, he was handsome, an accomplished dancer, and apparently a noteworthy lover of aristocratic women. He was a friend of Mozart and was instrumental in commissioning Haydn to write his six Paris Symphonies that he conducted with great success.

Born on the island of Guadeloupe to a French plantation owner and his slave mistress, Joseph was taken to France for an education that would eventually lead him to the palaces and concert halls of Paris. Overcoming institutionalized racism he was elevated to high society and even played duets with Marie Antoinette, an association that later put him in jeopardy when the Terror began after the Revolution.

It is refreshing to know that music history is more than just dead white guys from Vienna. Researching his life and listening to his music can be most rewarding. He wrote some really good pieces, especially his violin concertos. Apparently he was as good with the violin bow and quill as he was with the sword.