Book Description
Long before the word "Super Star" was coined, Saint-George was the original.Many people throughout history have been famous for one reason or another.Many have made great contributions to civilization and left great legacies.Their paintings and sculptures we still admire.Their discoveries have made our lives better; their music we still play and sing, but no one in history was as talented in so many areas as Saint-George.For a time, he was the greatest fencer in the world.He was an exceptional violinist and along with his teacher, Gossec, he pioneered the composition of the String Quartet.Even Mozart came to Paris to study this new form of music.Saint-George was an unequaled equestrian, an exceptional marksman and an elegant dancer.The wealthy copied the way he dressed, and the common people admired him as he walked through the streets, and whispered his name.He was a true Renaissance man and a "super star" in the Paris of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.What is even more remarkable was the fact that he was a mulatto. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Conflicts with other recent biographies
In my opinion, "The Black Mozart" often conflicts with other recent biographies I have read, by Emil F. Smidak (1996), Alain Guédé (2003) and Claude Ribbe (2004). Also, the cover of Guédé's book says: "Monsieur de Saint-George: Virtuoso, Swordsman, Revolutionary", "A Legendary Life Rediscovered", "Alain Guédé".The title page of "The Black Mozart" reads: "The Black Mozart, Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges", "Monsieur de Saint-George: Virtuoso, Swordsman, Revolutionary", "A Legendary Life Rediscovered" "by Walter E. Smith". Mr. Smith makes frequent use of the term "mulatto" as if it were acceptable. Prof. Claude Ribbe, a French historian of African descent, writes that "mulatto" was as insulting and demeaning in Saint-George's time as it is today. Smith quotes from books published in 1963 and 1972 but does not mention the biographies which benefit from subsequent historical research. Errors are numerous. On Page 1 Smith says: "Guadeloupe consists of several smaller islands nearby, like La Desirade, Marie Galante and Les Saintes." He also states: "Even today, all of these islands are still French colonies". In fact, Guadeloupe has long been an Overseas Department.It is part of France, not a colony. Prof. Ribbe's book, "Le chevalier de Saint-George", is only available in French. The other two biographies can be found in both French and English. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Notes, published by Music Library Association, Inc. on December 1, 2003. The length of the article is 360 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges.(Le Mozart Noir)(Sound Recording Review)
Author: Rick Anderson
Publication: Notes (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 2003
Publisher: Music Library Association, Inc.
Volume: 60Issue: 2Page: 517(1)

Article Type: Sound Recording Review

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