Read on Twitter
Happy Birthday Joseph Boulogne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, born Christmas Day, 1745 on the island of Guadeloupe, in the south Caribbean. He was the son of a plantation owner, whose name I will not type, & an enslaved 16-year-old woman of Senegalese origin named Anne Nanon…
… Joseph & Anne were taken to France by the father to ensure they remained free. Early on in his education, Joseph spent much time at a fencing school quickly gaining a reputation as a master swordsman & is sometimes credited as co-inventor of the fencing mask w/ La Boëssière…
… Boulogne was among the first Black colonels in the French Army, leading 800 infantry & 200 cavalry as Europe’s first all-Black regiment, paving the way for future heroes like General T.-A. Dumas, below, in a recreated illustration of his 1797 defense against Austrians…
…but there was his musical path. He was a gifted violinist, composer, & was chosen by J-F Gossec to lead the Concert des Amateurs. Within 2 years, the ensemble, often feat. Boulogne as violin soloist, had a great reputation & Marie Antoinette made surprise visits to hear them…
… Marie even employed Joseph Boulogne as her music teacher & duetted with him. In 1776, the Paris Opera found itself in dire straits & Joseph was a leading candidate to take over, championed by Marie. But, even with all his proven skills, racists barged in (as they usually do)…
… 3 leading sopranos complained to Marie about being led by a “mulatto.” Knowing this might embarrass Marie, as Queen, Boulogne withdrew his name to lead the Paris Opera. Marie, withdrew her concerts in Paris and played small chamber concerts with Joseph… for a time…
… it still was not enough. In 1779, Boulogne was attacked in the street, but fought off the 6 assailants. There was great suspicion the men were secret police from Versailles upset that a Black man was friend to the Queen. Not long after, he was fired for being “too close…”
…but his musical and fencing talent brought him to England for a time, where he began to be involved in the anti-Slavery movement. For that, he again was attacked by 5 men in London with pistols. But Joseph used a stick as makeshift sword and again escaped serious harm…
…in his final years, Boulogne returned to the Caribbean, to Hispaniola, and was appalled by the needless violence he saw, and when a rebellion by the enslaved people began, the French gov’t sent some of the former Black troops Joseph commanded to eliminate the insurrection…
… after this, Joseph Boulogne returned to Paris, but at nowhere near the height of his fame. Much of that coming from a many-months long imprisonment, due to what seems to be political reasons. Considering its frequent use at the time, he was fortunate to escape the guillotine…
…Boulogne was asked to lead a new music group though, the Cercle de l’Harmonie. And even felt a stronger attachment to his violin: “Never before did I play it so well.”
But sadly, from a bladder infection, Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges died June 12th, 1799 at 53.
But sadly, from a bladder infection, Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges died June 12th, 1799 at 53.
So why did Joseph Boulogne’s music vanish? And why do we have pretty much that ONE painting of him, despite being well-known in Paris for his handsomeness?
3 years after Boulogne’s passing, Napoleon reinstated slavery & many of Boulogne’s scores were burned…
3 years after Boulogne’s passing, Napoleon reinstated slavery & many of Boulogne’s scores were burned…
Imagine what impact that level of subjugation and systemic racism does to the legacy of a musician once popular enough they sought him to lead the Paris Opera? While recordings of his surviving works are being made & there’s now a street named for him in Paris, do me a favor…
…for Boulogne’s Birthday, read more about musicians of color whose impact was muffled far too soon.
Some starters:
Ignatius Sancho
James P. Johnson
Teodora Ginés
Joseph A. Emidy
or stay Christmas-appropriate with Margaret Bonds & Langston Hughes’ “The Ballad of the Brown King.”
Some starters:
Ignatius Sancho
James P. Johnson
Teodora Ginés
Joseph A. Emidy
or stay Christmas-appropriate with Margaret Bonds & Langston Hughes’ “The Ballad of the Brown King.”
