Date of Graduation

2010

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

As the first person with African blood to be recognized as a composer of Western art music, Joseph Boulogne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, is acknowledged for his remarkable ability as a composer, conductor, violin soloist and renowned fencer. His contributions to and achievements in the field of music, is nothing short of extraordinary and this document provides further insight into the life of a true Renaissance man. This thesis also examines the numerous disparities found in two separate publications of the Violin Concerto in G, Opus 2, No. 1, the goal of which is to bring awareness to the fact that there have been several researchers of Saint-Georges’s music, who do not necessarily agree on what is the proper interpretation of his music. Although Saint-Georges’s reputation, during his lifetime, was widespread, today his name and legacy is known to but a few students and scholars and research of this once enormously influential composer is regarded as esoteric. This study will contribute to a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of his fabled life.

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