Chevalier de Saint George

Joseph de Bologne (Chevaliere) de Saint George was a French violinist, harpsichordist, composer, conductor, military leader, and champion swordsman, born on December 25, 1745 (Bach was 60 years old.)  He was never what one might call a touring concert violinist.  He is remembered for being part of the French aristocracy and military prior to and during the French Revolution, despite being the son of a slave (his mother.)  As early as age 18 (1764), he obtained the position of Officer of the King's Guard.  He was also one of the first Black Masons in France.  In 1787, he beat Charles De Beaumont (the infamous French spy, diplomat, and transvestite) in a famous fencing duel.  It has been written that he was a highly skilled athlete who excelled as a swimmer, pistol shooter, dancer, ice skater, runner, and horseman.  His first teacher in music was his father.  Later on, after age 8, he may have studied violin and composition with Jean Marie Leclair in Paris.  It is thought that by 1771, he was concertmaster of the orchestra known as the Concert des Amateurs (the title is deceiving.)  It was thought to be the best orchestra in Paris and perhaps all of Europe.  By 1773, at age 28, he was its director.  Mozart was then 17 years old.  He also frequently played his own violin concertos with this orchestra.  Composers of the time, including Antonio Lolli and Carl Stamitz, dedicated works to him.  In 1779, at her request, De Saint George, began performing for and with Queen Marie Antoinette at Versailles.  In 1787, De Saint George, with a different orchestra, premiered Haydn’s six Paris Symphonies (82-87.)  Mozart was in the city between late March, 1778 and late September, 1778 but it is unknown whether he ever met de Bologne or heard any of his music.  (In fact, De Saint George has often been called the Black Mozart.) De Saint George wrote at least 15 violin concertos, 12 string quartets, 9 sonatas for violin, 10 sonatas for harpsichord, 3 symphonies, 8 symphonies concertante, and other works, among them an opera and other works for the theatre.  One of the violin concertos has been recorded by Rachel Barton.  Other than that, his music is now almost never played.  However, YouTube has a six-part biography of him as well as several videos of his music.  Joseph De Saint George died on June 10, 1799, at age 53. (Marie Antoinette was beheaded on October 16, 1793, at age 37.)

Giovanni Viotti

Giovanni Battista Viotti was an Italian violinist, composer, and conductor born on May 23 (or May 12) 1755 (one year before Mozart was born.) He took lessons from Gaetano Pugnani (pupil of Giovanni Somis) and later even toured with him until he made his Paris debut in 1782, where he was an immediate success. In fact, by all accounts, Viotti was the most brilliant violinist the public had ever heard until Paganini came along.  Partly due to the French Revolution, he moved to London in 1792, where he enjoyed acclaim, playing for royalty and directing various musical enterprises. He played many concerts alongside Johann Peter Salomon, another highly acclaimed violinist and impresario in London at the time.  Unfortunately, Viotti was forced to leave England after France and England became engaged in hostilities. He then retired from playing to run some kind of wine business which ultimately did not do very well. From 1819 to 1821, he ran the Royal Academy of Music in Paris. His pupils included Rode and Baillot who were instrumental in establishing a French school of violin playing, whatever that means.  It has been said that Viotti was very particular about who would be admitted into his violin class but never charged his students for lessons.  Viotti wrote 29 violin concertos, now seldom played. Nevertheless, Viotti's violin concerto number 22 in A minor was very much admired by Brahms. It has even been said that Joachim admired this Viotti concerto more than the Mendelssohn or Brahms concertos.  Viotti also wrote chamber music and a few songs plus a violin study book which remained unpublished until Habeneck incorporated a portion of it in his own method book many years later.  A famous (and beautiful) Stradivarius violin from 1709 is named after him. Viotti died (in London) on March 3, 1824, at age 68 (about three years before Beethoven.)