Monday, October 13, 2008

Fencers Who Composed Include Giuseppe Tartini and Chevalier J.J.O. de Meude-Monpas

[Violin Concertos by Black Composers of the 18th & 19th Centuries; Samuel Coleridge-Taylor;
Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges; Joseph White; Chevalier J.J.O. de Meude-Monpas; Rachel Barton, violin; Encore Chamber Orchestra; Daniel Hege, Conductor; Cedille 90000 035 (1997)]

AfriClassical recently posted “Lessingham93: 'found interesting data on Joseph de Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges'”. AfriClassical reprinted the other blogger's post, and added a few words on the Saint-Georges biography. Lessingham93's reply began: “Well.. on this end of it at least. I am much more interested in the history from the fencing end of things than the music.” We referred to a website essay by Daniel G. Marciano, "Gian Faldoni: Rival of Le Chevalier de Saint-George" at http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Faldoni.html We also suggested some resources by Daniel Marciano in French. The other blogger's reply began: “The link to the Faldoni article is much appreciated. It is very interesting. The French Theatrical Fencing community has done some great research which we all can thank them for - though I wish more of it was available in English.”

Professor Marciano made a further comment: “Véronique Bouisson wrote an interesting article of fencing in Romeo & Juliet, explaining that fencing is rather a form of specific language than a form of music even though in this play the sword is compared to a bow. It is also the case in the portrait of Saint-Georges by Mather Brown. Le Chevalier holds his foil as if he was about to play the violin. In Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio speaks of his sword as if were a bow. He says: Here’s my fiddlestick; here is that shall make you dance. Zounds, consort!” Daniel began another point in English: “On my web site I presented a comment entitled Saint-Georges, un “homme orchestre” to explain that the prestige of St-G is partly due to his multiple talents and mentions that...” (He continued in French, which I translate roughly as follows): “The Italian Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770) was sometimes compared to Saint-Georges because he was also an exceptional violinist and a professional fencer. In 1770, when he had to give up playing his instrument, experiencing neck pain, he then devoted himself to musical composition and became one of the most productive Italian composers of his time, writing 174 sonatas and 127 concertos.”

Another example of a fencer/composer is Chevalier J.J.O. de Meude-Monpas. His Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major (1786) (16:56) is on Rachel Barton Pine's landmark recording, the first U.S. CD to include a work of Saint-Georges, the Violin Concerto in A Major, Op. 5, No. 2 (1775) (23:43). Meude-Monpas was a musketeer in the service of the French King. I had a page on him at my website, but I removed it when Gabriel Banat wrote his 2006 biography, The Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Virtuoso of the Sword and the Bow, and informed me that Meude-Monpas was indeed called a Black Musketeer, but only because of the color of the horses ridden by his company! The historical record does not indicate he was of African origin. My web page on Meude-Monpas, which quotes his part of the liner notes, is accessible at the Internet Archive. In the alternative, if Lessingham93 will send me an E-mail address, I will forward the text of the former page to him.
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