The Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Virtuoso of the Sword and the BowThe Chevalier de Saint-Georges, born Joseph Bologne, was the son of an African slave and a French plantation owner on the island of Guadeloupe. The story of his improbable rise in French society, his life as a famous fencer, celebrated violinist-composer and conductor, and later commander of a colored regiment in the French Revolution, should, on the facts alone, gladden the heart of the most passionate romance novelist. Yet, the information disseminated about this illustre inconnu is found in an extravagant nineteenth-century novel, which contains more fiction than fact. Unfortunately, many of the author's flights of fancy have found their way into serious works about Saint-Georges. Gabriel Banat has set about systematically dispelling the confusion, for the real story is easily as fascinating as any flight of fancy. Gabriel Banat has been a professional violinist all his life; recitalist and member of the New York Philharmonic, he has systematically scoured the violin repertory for interesting and even unknown music. He came across the works of St. Georges and was fascinated by the freshness and charm of these 18th-century compositions. Eventually, he edited a critical edition of all the violin music and, inevitably, began a systematic investigation into the life of this intriguing and multifaceted individual, utilizing archives of the French Land Army, official clippings and untapped personal diaries of St. Georges contemporaries. Banat is the author of an authoritative monograph on St. Georges in the Black Music Research Journal. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 5 | |
| 12 | |
| 22 | |
| 27 | |
| 37 | |
| 40 | |
| 46 | |
Le PalaisRoyal | 273 |
London | 282 |
The Gathering Storm | 299 |
The Bastille | 312 |
Revolution | 326 |
An Orléans Conspiracy? | 332 |
Return to London | 341 |
Lille | 355 |
| 54 | |
| 67 | |
| 76 | |
A Young Man about Town | 90 |
Virtuoso | 97 |
Gossec | 113 |
The New Bow | 119 |
Quartets and Concertos | 125 |
Gluck and Marie Antoinette | 140 |
Concertos and Symphonies Concertantes | 159 |
The Opéra Affair | 177 |
Ernestine | 193 |
Madame de Montesson | 202 |
Madame de Montalembert | 220 |
LAmant Anonyте | 236 |
Le Concert des Amateurs | 243 |
The Grand Orient of France | 252 |
Le Concert Olympique | 259 |
The National Guard | 364 |
La Légion SaintGeorges | 371 |
Regicide | 386 |
The Great Terror | 400 |
Too Many Colonels | 414 |
Paris 1795 | 427 |
SaintDomingue | 437 |
CodaFinale | 449 |
Epilogue | 455 |
Postlude | 460 |
Appendices | 467 |
Works List | 469 |
Discography | 479 |
Documents | 484 |
Bibliography | 521 |
Index | 544 |
Common terms and phrases
Alexandre Angelo Archives army Baron became Boëssière Bologne's Brenet Brissot Chasseurs Chevalier de Saint-Georges Choderlos de Laclos Citizens Colonel colonies color Comédie composer Concert des Amateurs Concert Spirituel conductor court D'Éon d'Orléans Document Dossier Duke of Chartres Duke of Orléans duke's Dumas Dumouriez Ernestine father Félicité fencer fencing française France François French Fusil Genlis George Bologne Gluck Gossec grand Grimm Guadeloupe Guimard Haydn Henry Angelo Ibid instruments Joseph king king's Lafayette Lamothe later Légion Lille livres London Louis XVI Louise Marie Antoinette marquise master Mémoires Miaczinsky minister Monsieur Montalembert Montesson Mozart mulatto musicians musique Nanon Nationale officers Olympique Opéra opéra comique orchestra Palais-Royal Paris Parisian performed Philippe Egalité Philippe's Pierre play Prince queen regiment Revolution royal Saint Saint-Domingue slaves Société solo sonatas Sonthonax symphonies concertantes theatre tion Tuileries Versailles violin concertos violinist virtuoso young