THE BLACK MOZART: Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges

by Walter E. Smith

Long before the word “Super Star” was coined, Saint-Georges 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-Georges. 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-Georges 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.

Genres: Music

174 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Shayla McBride · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a brilliant man and so poorly depicted in this shallow and condescending biography. Someone needs to do le Chevalier de Saint-Georges justice. He was a giant of a man: charming, massively talented, physically powerful, intelligent...and of mixed race, a sentence of mediocrity then as it can be now. To think of the talent and lives wasted by bigotry is both infuriating and saddening.
That said, do read it. It's a quick and easy read about the life of a probably likeable but undeniably superior man. Take that, Proud Boyz!

[Martin McDonald · Rating 1 out of 5]

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges was one of the pre-eminent gentlemen of Parisian society of the late eighteenth century - violinist, composer, conductor, athlete, soldier and widely regarded as the finest swordsman in the whole of Europe his position was all the more remarkable as he was the son of a white plantation owner and his black slave.

Sadly, this biography does not do him justice. It is poorly written in a style that is more suited for a teenage school essay or casual letter to an acquaintance than a serious biography. There are many diversions for inconsequential and unnecessary anecdotes, including a whole chapter devoted to the Haitian revolution in which Saint-Georges takes no part at all. It shows no signs of any form of editing as the text jumps between time periods, places, characters and events seemingly at random as if the author is writing a stream of consciousness story rather than a well considered and organised narrative. The author's style frequently drifts into that of the romantic novel leading to him making statements of seeming fact which can only be at best speculation and at worst pure fiction. I cannot vouch for much of the author's research but his description of Saint-Georges' musical career is woefully incomplete: for instance one of Saint-Georges' main achievements - the commissioning and first performances of Haydn's six Paris Symphonies - is, unforgivably, completely omitted. Walter Smith briefly comes into his own in his comical description of a real duel between Saint-Georges and an elderly cross-dressing male member of the aristocracy and his vivid depiction of the French Revolution although, unfortunately, the latter is only given the most tenuous of links to Saint-Georges.

I can't recommend this except to the most persistent of readers who, like me, are determined to discover more about the amazing Chevalier de Saint-Georges.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The topic was fascinating, but the book could have been better written. I don’t see the comparison to Mozart. It was never really explained. Sainte-George’s was a composer. This was just a brief part of the book, a book with the title of,”The Black Mozart.” I was hoping to learn more about the man and his music and musical abilities.

[Martha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I almost never don’t finish a book. This is a biography about Le Chevalier de Saint Georges, a true Renaissance man in his time. He lived during the 18th century in Paris and London. His life deserves to be well told and it certainly wasn’t by this author. It was too much to persevere.

[Carlos Apodaca · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an exceptional composite of narratives and first- person historical accounts of truly a remarkable French Renaissance man who never wrote about himself or his talents. Thus, a humble man is legendary.

[Victor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit short, but way better than the movie. There were some sections that were a bit questionable, but on the whole, a good book of history.