Chevalier de Saint-Georges

Short bio Chevalier de Saint-Georges

Birthday: 1745 in Guadeloupe, French West Indies

Died: 1799 in Paris, France

Genre: Classical

Period: Classical

Full biography Chevalier de Saint-Georges

Chevalier de Saint-Georges was a composer, conductor, and violinist of African descent in the 18th century. He was born in the French Caribbean colony of Guadeloupe on December 25, 1745, to a wealthy French plantation owner and an African slave woman.

At a young age, Saint-Georges showed a prodigious talent for music, particularly the violin. His father, recognizing his son's talent, sent him to France for further education and training. There, he studied music and fencing, becoming a skilled swordsman in addition to his musical abilities.

Saint-Georges went on to become a prominent figure in the Parisian music scene, performing and composing music for the court and high society. He was most famous for his compositions of symphonies, quartets, and concertos, as well as for his abilities as a skilled conductor. Many of his compositions were influenced by his Caribbean roots, incorporating elements of traditional African rhythms and melodies into his works.

Despite his success and popularity, Saint-Georges faced racism and discrimination throughout his life, often being referred to as "the black Mozart." Despite this, he remained an important figure in French music and culture, becoming a symbol of resistance against racial oppression.

Chevalier de Saint-Georges died on June 12, 1799, leaving a legacy of groundbreaking music and a legacy of perseverance and artistic excellence in the face of adversity. His story is an important reminder of the value of diversity in the arts and the ongoing struggle for equality in society.

Compositions featuring Chevalier de Saint-Georges

#	Name	Duration	Genre	Year
1	Violin Concerto in D major, Op. Posth. No. 2	24:37 min	Concerto	1799
2	String Quartet in B flat major, Op. 14/2	11:02 min	Chamber Music	1785
3	String Quartet in D major, Op. 14/1	18:00 min	Chamber Music	1785
4	String Quartet in E flat major, Op. 14/5	12:43 min	Chamber Music	1785
5	String Quartet in F minor, Op. 14/3	7:46 min	Chamber Music	1785
6	String Quartet in G major, Op. 14/4	9:47 min	Chamber Music	1785
7	String Quartet in G minor, Op. 14/6	9:28 min	Chamber Music	1785
8	Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 8/10	27:03 min	Concerto	1782
9	Sonata for keyboard & violin No. 1 in B flat major	13:06 min	Chamber Music	1781
10	Sonata for keyboard & violin No. 2 in A major	15:26 min	Chamber Music	1781
11	Sonata for keyboard & violin No. 3 in G minor	13:58 min	Chamber Music	1781
12	Violin Concerto in G major, Op. 8/9	21:38 min	Concerto	1781
13	Sinfonia Concertante for 2 violins, viola & orchestra in A major, Op. 10/2	14:24 min	Concerto	1779
14	Symphony Concertante in F major, Op. 10/1	10:56 min	Symphony	1779
15	Symphony in D major (Ouverture of "L'amant anonyme") Op. 11/2	9:23 min	Symphony	1779
16	Violin Concerto in B flat major, Op. 7/2	22:33 min	Concerto	1778
17	Symphony Concertante in G major, Op. 13	14:14 min	Symphony	1777
18	String Quartet (Quartetto Concertant) No. 5 in G major	10:07 min	Chamber Music	1777
19	String Quartet (Quartetto Concertant) No. 6 in B flat major	9:34 min	Chamber Music	1777
20	String Quartet (Quartetto Concertant) No. 4 in F major	8:30 min	Chamber Music	1777
21	String Quartet (Quartetto Concertant) No. 3 in C major	8:04 min	Chamber Music	1777
22	String Quartet (Quartetto Concertant) No. 2 in G minor	10:19 min	Chamber Music	1777
23	String Quartet (Quartetto Concertant) No. 1 in B flat major	8:18 min	Chamber Music	1777
24	Sinfonia Concertante for 2 violins & orchestra in E flat major, Op. 12	13:47 min	Concerto	1777
25	Violin Concerto No. 10 in G major	24:03 min	Concerto	1777
26	Violin Concerto in A major, Op. 5/2	25:05 min	Concerto	1775
27	Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 7/1	17:41 min	Concerto	1775
28	Violin Concerto in C major, Op. 5/1	21:35 min	Concerto	1775
29	Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 3/1	20:44 min	Concerto	1774
30	Violin Concerto in D major (without opus)	23:29 min	Concerto	1774
31	Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 4	22:46 min	Concerto	1774
32	String Quartet in G minor, Op. 1/5	7:23 min	Chamber Music	1773
33	String Quartet in G minor, Op. 1/3	4:58 min	Chamber Music	1773
34	String Quartet in E flat major, Op. 1/2	6:23 min	Chamber Music	1773
35	String Quartet in D major, Op. 1/6	9:34 min	Chamber Music	1773
36	String Quartet in C minor, Op. 1/4	6:04 min	Chamber Music	1773
37	String Quartet in C major, Op. 1/1	7:03 min	Chamber Music	1773
38	Violin Concerto in G major, Op. 2/1	23:38 min	Concerto	1773
39	Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 2/2	19:47 min	Concerto	1773
40	Violin concerto in F major, Op. 10/4		Concerto	-
41	Violin Concerto in G major, Op. 8/2	26:29 min	Concerto	-
42	Adagio, for piano in F minor	2:59 min	Keyboard	-
43	Violin Concerto No. 11 in G major, WoO	29:40 min	Concerto	-
44	Violin Concerto in C major, Op.3/2	17:16 min	Concerto	-
45	Symphony in D major ("Pastorella"), Op. 5/5	15:34 min	Symphony	-
46	Symphony Concertante in C major, Op. 6/1	15:02 min	Orchestral	-
47	Symphony Concertante in C major, Op.9/1	13:49 min	Symphony	-
48	Symphony Concertante in B flat major, Op. 6/2	24:45 min	Orchestral	-
49	Symphony Concertante in A major, Op.9/2	16:50 min	Symphony	-
50	Symphonie in G major, Op.11/1	13:25 min	Symphony	-
51	Sonata No. 1 for flute & piano	7:37 min	Chamber Music	-
52	Sonata for flute & piano	9:58 min	Chamber Music	-
53	L'autre jour à l'ombrage, for voice & piano	2:50 min	Vocal Music	-
54	L'amant anonyme, opera	98:33 min	Opera	-
55	Aria con variazioni for violin & keyboard in G major	5:03 min	Chamber Music	-

Albums featuring Chevalier de Saint-Georges

#	Name album	Year	Music label
1	Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier De Saint-Georges, Kris Bowers, Michael Abels – Chevalier (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)(File, MP3, Album, Compilation)	2023	Hollywood Records
2	Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier De Saint-Georges, Fumika Mohri, Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice, Michael Halász – Violin Concertos Opp. 2 And 7(CDr, Album)	2023	Naxos
3	Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier De Saint-Georges, Arabella String Quartet – Six Concertante Quartets(CD, Album)	2022	Naxos
4	Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier De Saint-Georges, Yury Revich, Libor Ježek (2), Pavla Honsová, Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice, Michael Halász – Symphonies Concertantes(CD, Album)	2021	Naxos
5	Monsieur De Saint-George, Luanda Siqueira, Florence Malgoire, Olivier Baumont – Plaisir D'aimer, Souffrance D'aimer(CD, Album)	2011	Euromusic (11)
6	Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra, Le Chevalier de Saint-George – The Complete Symphonies Concertantes On 2 CDs, CD 2(CD, )	2008	Avenira
7	Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra, Le Chevalier de Saint-George – The Complete Symphonies Concertantes On 2 CDs, CD 1(CD, )	2008	Avenira
8	Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, J.Chr.Bach, Simon Le Duc, Chevalier De Saint-George, Pierre-Montan Berton L'Ainé, Reinhard Goebel, Yura Lee, Bayerische Kammerphilharmonie – Mozart In Paris(CD, )	2007	Oehms Classics
9	Joseph de Bologne de Saint-Georges - Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra – Intégrale Des Concertos Pour Violon En 5 Cds, CD 1(CD, )	2006	Avenira
10	Le Chevalier De Saint-George - Apollon Quartet – Quatuors À Cordes Opus 14 (Troisième Livre De Quatuors)(CD, )	2005	Avenira
11	Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier De Saint-Georges - Qian Zhou, Toronto Camerata, Kevin Mallon – Violin Concertos • 2 / Concerto In D Major, Op. Post. No. 2 / Concerto No. 10 In G Major / Concerto In D Major, Op. 3 No. 1(CD, Album)	2004	Naxos
12	Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier De Saint-Georges, Jean-Marie Leclair, François-Joseph Gossec - Tafelmusik Orchestra, Jeanne Lamon – Le Mozart Noir(CD, Album)	2003	CBC Records
13	Le Chevalier De Saint-George, Quatuor Atlantis – Six Quatuors A Cordes Opus 14(CD, )	2003	Assai
14	Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier De Saint-Georges - Takako Nishizaki, Cologne Chamber Orchestra, Helmut Müller-Brühl – Violin Concertos	2001	Naxos
15	Monsieur de Saint-George, Le Nègre Des Lumières / Orchestra Della Svizzera Italiana – Quatre Concertos Pour Violon(CD, Album)	1999	Forlane
16	11e Concerto Op. VII N° 2, Symphonies Op. XI N° 1 & 2(CD, Reissue)	1998	Arion
17	Vachon, Boulogne, Cambini, Quatuor Les Adieux – Quatuors À Cordes(CD, )	1996	Auvidis Valois
18	Le Chevalier De Saint-Georges, Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Orchestre de Chambre Bernard Thomas – Concertos Pour Violon(CD, Compilation)	1990	Arion
19	11ème Concerto, Symphonies N°1&2	1982	Arion
20	Le Chevalier De Saint-Georges, Brigitte Haudebourg, Jean-Jacques Kantorow – Sonates pour clavecin et violon - chefs-d'oeuvre retrouvés - première mondiale(LP, Stereo)	1979	Arion
21	Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier De Saint-Georges, Quatuor A Cordes Jean-Noël Molard – Six Quators À Deux Violons, Alto Et Violoncelle(LP)	1977	Arion
22	Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier De Saint-Georges, Jean-Nöel Molard String Quartet – Six String Quartets(LP, Album)	1977	Musical Heritage Society
23	Le Chevalier De Saint-Georges - Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Orchestre de Chambre Bernard Thomas – Concerto Opus V N°1 (Do Majeur), Concerto Opus III N°1 (Ré Majeur)(LP)	1976	Arion
24	Duo Flûte Et Harpe De Paris - Beethoven, Debussy, Dowland, Durey, Saint-Georges, Vinci, Ibert, Jolivet – Flûte Et Harpe(LP, Album, Stereo)	1975	Disques Adès
25	Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier De Saint-Georges, Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Orchestre de Chambre Bernard Thomas – Concerto Opus VIII N°9 (Sol Majeur), Concerto Opus V N°2 (La Majeur)	1974	Arion
26	Symphonie Concertante In G Major For Two Violins And Orchestra, Op. 13 / Symphony No. 1 In G Major, Op. 11, No. 1 / Scena From "Ernestine" / String Quartet No. 1 In C Major, Op. 1, No. 1	1974	Columbia Masterworks
27	Gossec, Saint-Georges, Schobert, Lily Laskine, Odette Le Dentu, Huguette Fernandez, Ginette Carles, Anne-Marie Beckensteiner, Orchestre Jean-François Paillard, Jean-François Paillard – Concert Pour La Reine Marie-Antoinette Au Petit Trianon Les Français À	1965	Erato
28	Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier De Saint-Georges, Marie Alexandre Guénin, Isidore Bertheaume, Ensemble Instrumental Jean-Marie Leclair, Jean-François Paillard – Contemporains de Mozart: Deux Symphonies et deux symphonies concertantes(LP)	1957	Erato
29	Symphonies And Violin Concertos CD3(CD, )	-	Avenira
30	Chevalier De Saint-George - Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra – Intégrale Des Concertos Pour Violon En 5 CDs, CD 2(CD, )	-	Avenira
31	Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra, Le Chevalier de Saint-George – Intégrale Des Concertos Pour Violon En 5 CDs, CD 3(CD, )	-	Avenira
32	Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra, Le Chevalier de Saint-George – Intégrale Des Concertos Pour Violon En 5 CDs, CD 4(CD, )	-	Avenira
33	Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra, Le Chevalier de Saint-George – Intégrale Des Concertos Pour Violon En 5 CDs, CD 5(CD, )	-	Avenira
34	Le Chevalier De Saint Georges, Anne Robert – Les 10 Sonates Pour Clavecin(CD, )	-	BNL Productions
35	Chevalier de Meude-Monpas, Chevalier De Saint-Georges, Joseph White, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Rachel Barton, Encore Chamber Orchestra, Daniel Hege – Violin Concertos By Black Composers Of The 18th & 19th Centuries(CD, )	-	Cedille Records
36	Symphonies And Violin Concertos CD2(CD, )	-	Avenira