Who is Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (biography)

Some people still call him "Black Mozart," but the biography of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, is much more interesting. He was a French classical composer, virtuoso violinist, conductor of the leading symphony orchestra in Paris, a renowned champion fencer, and a LOT more. He was born in Basse Terre, Guadeloupe, and when he was young, his family moved to Saint Domingue (now Haiti); it was probably there he had his first violin lessons. When he was 10, his father brought him to Paris, where we learned riding, dancing, swimming, skating, and fencing. He studied fencing under the Master of Arms Antoine La Boessiére for about six years and became a master swordsman, often named the greatest in Europe during his prime. He studied composition under François-Joseph Gossec, who appointed Bologne as first violinist of the Concerts des Amateurs in 1769, his first professional post. In 1772 he made his debut as a soloist by performing his own Op. 2 violin concerti. The piece required high levels of virtuosity that grew Saint-Georges' reputation and led to him taking over Gossec's position as director of the Concerts. Although his 1775 appointment as director of the Paris Opéra was revoked after singers refused to work with him, he was largely responsible for the commissioning of Haydn's famous Paris Symphonies. During the French Revolution, Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, joined the Republic. He became the captain of the National Guard in Lille but was accused of misappropriation of funds and was jailed. He temporarily moved to Saint Domingue after hearing of the slave rebellion and returned to Paris in 1797. He's known mainly for his quartets and violin concerti, but his operas were very popular. His musical style was naturally suited to operatic and theatrical music, and it is believed that some other operatic works of his have been lost to time. 🔴 Subscribe for more relatable opera content: https://www.youtube.com/c/HipHoperaGu... Share this video with an opera fan:    • Who is Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-...   ▬ Contents of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 00:00 Introduction 00:13 Early life 00:29 Fencing 00:59 Chevalier de Saint-Georges 01:19 Music 02:12 Black Mozart 03:17 French Revolution 04:20 Ending 🔴 The tool I use to help me manage my channel, get video ideas, rank videos, and more: https://www.Tubebuddy.com/hiphoperaguy 🔴 This is everything I used to make this video: Teacup: https://amzn.to/3zupvS9 Wine: https://amzn.to/3bZK1RC Spoon: https://amzn.to/3PRdxax Mic: https://amzn.to/3cIyFla Ring light: https://amzn.to/3zv7seE Backdrop: https://amzn.to/3PUbmTJ Setup: https://amzn.to/3croQaT Camera: https://amzn.to/3Pt409M Memory cards: https://amzn.to/3RThu0l Batteries: https://amzn.to/3PSRd04 ✅ Recommended videos: Carmen (short story opera synopsis/summary):    • Carmen (short story opera synopsis/summary)   Tosca short synopsis:    • Tosca synopsis  in 5 minutes  (short story...   ✅ Music by Steve Wallace:   / stevewstudio1   https://stevewallacemusic.com/ ✅ For business inquiries, contact [email protected] Disclaimer: Some of these links are affiliate links where I'll earn a small commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you. 🤎 Let's connect: Fb:   / babatundehiphopera   IG:   / babatunde_hiphopera   TikTok:   / babatunde_hiphopera   Twitter:   / tundehiphopera   #opera #chevalier #history #violin