Calling the Chevalier de Saint-Georges
a Black Mozart is a stretch from two points of view.
First, though he was indeed an accomplished composer,
above average for his time, his music cannot fairly
be compared that of Mozart. Second, he was only half
black. His father was a plantation owner in Guadeloupe,
his mother one of the plantation slaves. When he settled
permanently in France in 1759, the elder St-Georges
took along his legal wife, his black mistress (she was
called Nanon and was of Senegalese origin) and his illegitimate
son, Joseph.
He provided Joseph with an excellent education and
sent him into the world well equipped to lead the life
of a minor aristocrat. That life, a very full one as
it turned out, included careers as an important composer
and musician, a military officer, a legendary lover
and the best swordsman in Europe.
The contents of this CD were originally recorded for
a television documentary called Le Mozart noir.
It presents the composer's music most persuasively
and goes a step further by providing representative
samples of the work of two far better known French composers
of the 18th century, Leclair and Gossec.
The Gossec in particular doesn't readily bear comparison
with the Saint-Georges.
Six selections from the Saint-Georges ballet score
L'amant anonyme open the collection. They are
light and charming, but full of vigour and melodic invention.
More substantial is the Violin Concerto in D,
a sturdy, animated and individual work. Soloist Linda
Melsted and her colleagues turn out a terrific performance
of this little-known gem.
An equally fine work, equally well performed, the Symphony
in G has moments of great beauty and a degree of
musical subtlety that make it a delight to the mind
as well as to the ear.
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