The Story
The Chevalier de Saint-George is in many respects an exceptional figure. Born in Guadeloupe in the eighteenth century to an aristocrat and an enslaved woman, he received in Paris the education of a court gentleman: violinist, fencer, Freemason, participant in the Revolution, and conductor, he was also a composer. It is naturally to the violin that he dedicated his finest works, among which the concertos, marked by a virtuosity that is both unbridled and graceful, stand out in particular. Romuald Grimbert-Barré and the Orchestre national de Cannes pay tribute to this extraordinary life by pairing the Op. 5 and Op. 8 concertos with Thierry Pécou's Concerto Hommage à Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-George. Through it's many biographical references, the work offers multiple poetic points of entry into the life of this singular and fascinating figure, who remains far too little known today.
Description
The Chevalier de Saint-George is in many respects an exceptional figure. Born in Guadeloupe in the eighteenth century to an aristocrat and an enslaved woman, he received in Paris the education of a court gentleman: violinist, fencer, Freemason, participant in the Revolution, and conductor, he was also a composer. It is naturally to the violin that he dedicated his finest works, among which the concertos, marked by a virtuosity that is both unbridled and graceful, stand out in particular. Romuald Grimbert-Barré and the Orchestre national de Cannes pay tribute to this extraordinary life by pairing the Op. 5 and Op. 8 concertos with Thierry Pécou's Concerto Hommage à Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-George. Through it's many biographical references, the work offers multiple poetic points of entry into the life of this singular and fascinating figure, who remains far too little known today.
