Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint Georges

Biographical Information

Summary:

The second President of the United States, John Adams, described Chevalier de Saint-Georges as “the most accomplished man in Europe…” Saint-Georges was Europe’s premiere swordsman, a virtuosi violinist, leader of one of Europe’s finest orchestras, and of course an important composer. He was also what eighteenth century France referred to as a “mulatto.” He was half-Black and half-White, the son of an aristocrat and his family’s Black house slave in the French colony of Guadeloupe. Saint-Georges was freed from a potential life of slavery by his father’s family name. He was ushered into French high society, where he would become an international celebrity and a groundbreaking composer.

Early Life and Origins:

Chevalier de Saint-Georges was not born with that name. It was given to him years later, when he was made a member of the French Royal Guard. His original name was Joseph Bologne, and there is some debate about when he was born. Many people insist that he was born on Christmas in 1745, others say sometime around 1745, and some even say 1739. Most sources agree that he was born during 1745. However, this debate reflects the nature of Saint-George’s origins. Accurate dates of birth were not a high priority for slaves or the illegitimate children of slave owners in the French colonies. Saint-George’s father, George Bologne, was a French plantation owner. His mother, Nanon, was one of the Bologne family’s slaves. Thankfully, the young Joseph was not born into slavery even though the law insisted that he should have been. Instead, he was welcomed into the wealthy Bologne family. He began taking violin lessons when he was 5 years old, and he would later be whisked away to Paris.

Career and Legacy:

Once he was in Paris, Chevalier de Saint-Georges would study with the famous Francois Gossec. His talent became so apparent that composers, like Stamitz and Lolli, would dedicate violin concertos and string quartets in his name. Gossec would invite Saint-Georges to join his orchestra: the Concert d’Amateurs, and Saint-Georges would become the orchestra’s director once Gossec stepped down. Under his leadership it would become one of the finest orchestras in Europe. By this point, Saint-Georges had a grand career as a composer. He had composed symphonies, violin concertos, and string quartets. He showcased a new kind of music, the Sinfonia Concertante, where two solo instruments play in front of an orchestra and “compete” against one another. He regularly performed his violin concertos all over France.

Saint-Georges decided to throw his hat in the ring to become the director of the Paris Opera, which brings us to an example of the prejudice that he faced in his career. Many of the musicians in the Paris Opera signed a letter saying that they would refuse to work under a Mulatto director. Saint-Georges withdrew his application. Yet he continued to thrive in his career. The music of Chevalier de Saint-Georges that we can listen to today is only a fraction of the music that he created. Many of his compositions would be lost during the chaos of the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon, who would suppress performances of his music.

Chevalier de Saint-Georges embraced the ideals of the French Revolution. The revolutionary government ended slavery in all of the French colonies, and the ideas of equality and liberty were attractive because they could knock down barriers that the he faced in French society. Saint-Georges valiantly led the first Black military unit in France in the war against Austria. However, this could not spare him from “The Terror.” Once King Louis XVI and Queen Mary Antoinette lost their heads to the guillotine, the French Revolution took a radical turn. Anybody from an aristocratic family was in danger. Saint-Georges was an aristocrat, and he was also close to the royal family. He was imprisoned for over a year on charges that were later shown to be false. But he escaped the guillotine, and would continue to compose and perform until he passed away in 1799.

Sources:

Dominique-Rene de Lerma.“The Chevalier de Saint-Georges.”The Black Perspective in

Music, Vol. 4 No. 1 (Spring,1976) pp. 3-21. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1214399

Wiliford, James. “Black Mozart.” National Endowment of the Humanities Vol. 31 No. 3 (May/

June 2010). https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2010/mayjune/statement/black-mozart

Classics FM Article:

https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/chevalier-de-saint-georges-joseph-boulogne-black-mozart/