Joseph Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1739-99) was one of the earliest musicians of African ancestry to make a major impression in the world of European concert music. Born on the Carribean Island of Guadeloupe to an African woman and a wealthy Frenchman, he was educated in Paris to assume the role of a cultured eighteenth-century gentleman, studying literature, fencing, and music. He soon became acknowledged as one of the foremost swordsmen in France, while also developing his gifts as a violinist and composer. By 1771, he had achieved sufficient stature as a musician to be appointed concertmaster of the well-known 'Concert des Amateurs,' then under the direction of his teacher, Francois-Joseph Gossec. He was eventually offered the position of co-director of the Paris Opera but withdrea following objections registered with the Queen by three ladies who feared it would be degrading for them to follow orders of a "mulatto." Saint-Georges continued to play an important role in Parisian musical life until about 1785, when fencing and a military career began to demand most of his time.

The greater part of Saint-Georges' music was composed during the decade following 1773 and includes operas, symphonies, violin concertos and sonatas, string quartets and a variety of songs and chamber pieces. He was one of the first composers in France to write for string quartet, and his sonatas for violin and piano are among the earliest in which both instruments play an equal role. The musical style of much of his work is ecclectic - one finds influences from the mid-century Mannheim symphonists, from Gluck, and from older French contemporaries. He respected the music of Haydn and supported its publication in Paris, but the stylistic similarity one may occasionally note in the works of the two composers is more a symptom of mutual influences. But one also encounters an unexpectedly wide range of moods, from the elegantly tailored 'galant' style of the symphonies and quartets, through the impassioned Gluck-like arias of his opera ( Ernestine ), to the romantic melody of his Adagio in F minor for piano.

In many ways, Saint-Georges is stylistically and chronologically pre-Classic, having established his musical personality prior to the Mozart and Haydn characteristics that are normally used as stylistic criteria for the entire second half of the eighteenth century, although the basic architecture of the sonata form is already evident in his instrumental works. Since he wrote no known works for the flute, this afternoon's concert is dedicated to his musical ecclecticism and the frequently hedonistic spirit of much of his music.

Karlton E. Hester
February 28, 1977

This paper is concerned with the French sinfonia concertante, with Joseph Chevalier de Saint-Georges and his Sinfonia Concertante in G Major, Opus Thirteen, and with the Sinfonia Concertante in B Flat, Opus Eighty-four by Joseph Haydn. Only the first movement of each of these works will be discussed.

The Oxford Companion to Music defines the sinfonia concertante as follows: "A 'concertante' symphony is a work of the classical symphony period, i.e. the period following that of the 'concerto grosso,' yet on the same general lines as the concerto grosso so far as the interplay of two sets of forces is much the same as a double or triple concerto, etc. So, too, occasional term applied to a string quartet, a 'concertante' quartet seems to imply an individuality on the part of the first violin music which tends to divide the participants into parts . . . . The instrument taking this more prominent solo service as its province is sometimes called the 'concertant instrument (s)' as distinct from the ripieno instruments."

Paris was the musical capital of Europe during the period 1764 to 1789. It appears that there were more instrumental composers, performers and publishers functioning in Paris during this period than in any other city in Europe. Around 1779 the symphonie concertante began to rise in popularity as virtuoso display, huge orchestral sonorities and beautiful melodic line became the focus of bourgeois audiences. During this period, Parisian composers produced twice as many concerted symphonies than the rest of Europe combined.

Joseph Chevalier de Saint-Georges, possibly the first man of African ancestry to make a significant impression on Western Music, composed eleven symphonic concertantes. Eight of these works call for two solo violins (as does the Sinfonia Concertante in G Major, Opus Thirteen) and all but his sinfonia concertantes are in two movements. The opening section is typically in sonata form, and the second movement is usually a rondeau.

The New Oxford History of Music connects the rise of the sinfonia concertante with the "growing significance of the amateur composer." Saint-Georges' phrases are well balanced, his melodies flowing and lyrical and his themes are very clearly articulated. The thematic material consists of motives that are developed sequentially, for the most part, and the accompaniment remains simple throughout the development section. Virtuoso display is left to the soloists, nevertheless, understatement and charm appear to be the main concerns. Very little dialogue occurs between concertante parts and ripieno parts. The folk-like melodies are not highly embellished and the use of dynamic contrast is for subtle differences in color. Unfortunately, a score to the movement discussed is not available.

Joseph Haydn's Sinfonia Concertante in B Flat, Opus Eighty-four contains lyrical melodies, however, the melodic materials is both more highly embellished and more finely developed than the Saint-Georges example. The use of the orchestra is more colorful and thematic episodes are treated sequentially with occasional stretto concertante passages. The solo quartet combines with the orchestra and is heard alone during the unfolding of the Rondo-Sonata first movement.

Both the Haydn and the Saint-Georges movements were based on simple triadic harmony with frequent appearances of arpeggiated figures. Similarily, they have clearly divided sections, regular cadences and the melodic material of each of the sinfonia concertantes is derived from the major mode with journeys to near-related keys used for contrast. In conclusion, the principal major distinction between the Saint-Georges sinfonia concertante and that of Haydn is Haydn's greater use of orchestral color with complete command of orchestral technique.

References:

Scholes, Percy Alfred: The Oxford Companion to Music. Edited by John Owen Ward. 10th ed. rev. and reset. London; New York: Oxford University Press, 1970.

New Oxford History of Music. London; New York: Oxford University Press, 1954 -1990.