Sergio A. Mims: Chevalier de Saint-Georges Symphony No. 2 to be performed by the Lucerne Festival Orchestra Aug. 24

Lucerne Festival Orchestra       

Yannick Nézet-Séguin  Conductor

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745–1799)
Symphony No. 2 in D major

Wolfgang Amadé Mozart (1756–1791)
Symphony in D major, K. 504 Prague

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92      

 Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745–1799)

Sergio A. Mims writes:

W,

The Lucerne Festival Orchestra under conductor Yanick Nezet-Seguin on Tuesday Aug 24 will perform Chevalier de Saint-Georges' Symphony 2 at the Lucerne Summer Festival going on this month in Switzerland.

Along with the Saint- Georges work will be Mozart's Symphony No. 38 in D Major K.504 "Prague" and Beethoven's Symphony No. 7.

"Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Lucerne Festival join together for a fascinating encounter this evening: Wolfgang Amadéus Mozart and his famous Prague Symphony meet “Le Mozart noir,” which is how the violinist, conductor, and composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges – one of the all-too-few people of color in the classical music world of Mozart’s era – was known by his contemporaries. The Chevalier, whose mother had been a slave from Guadeloupe, conducted the famous orchestra of the Loge Olympique in Paris and also premiered Haydn’s Paris Symphonies there. Yet his own works are rarely played anymore".