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Editorial Reviews
ClassicsToday.com
Cedille's usual top-drawer sound makes this a disc you should not miss.
Product Description
Cedille Records wants the world to know about two of Mozart's less-familiar contemporaries, Chevalier J.J.O. de Meude-Monpas and Chevalier de Saint-Georges, as well as later composers Joseph White and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. All were men of mixed African and European descent who made important contributions to European music in the 1700s and 1800s. Celebrities in their day, they've been all but forgotten in our era. Relatively little is known of the early background of French composer Meude-Monpas, but we do know that he was born in Paris and was a musketeer in the service of French king Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette -- when he wasn't composing and writing books on music. Also active in Paris was Guadeloupe-born Saint-Georges, son of an aristocratic French plantation owner and an African slave. The dashing Saint-Georges (who graces the disc's cover) was a champion swordsman and extraordinary athlete, as well as a violin virtuoso. Cuba's Joseph White was born to a French businessman and an Afro-Cuban mother. A concert sensation in Europe and Latin America, White's violin playing was admired by the finest musicians of his day, including the great opera composer Gioacchino Rossini, who wrote, "The warmth of your execution, the feeling, the elegance, the brilliance of the school to which you belong, show the qualities in you as an artist of which the French school may be proud." England's Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, the son of a physician from Sierra Leone and an Englishwoman, was esteemed in the US, especially among cultured African-Americans. His circle of American admirers included Booker T. Washington. The Coleridge-Taylor Society, a Black choral group, was founded in his honor in 1901. He visited the US several times and was a White House guest of President Theodore Roosevelt.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Goes beyond mere novelty,
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This review is from: Violin Concertos by Black Composers of the 18th & 19th Centuries (Audio CD)
The four works contained on this CD are truly wonderful pieces that deserve to be better known and more frequently played. These are not mere novelty items meant to appeal to only a segment of society but wholly fascinating works, each distinctive and representative of their period and style. Though it may be true that none of the music remotely suggests their creators ethnicity, that should hardly prove to be surprising as all of the composers were either born and/or raised in Europe; the sole exception being Joseph White (b. Matanzas, Cuba) who left for Paris in early adulthood and even if none of these works prove revolutionary in either idea or content, what they lack in innovation they more than make up for with grace, elegance, fiery bravura, sheer melodiousness and the kind of exemplary craftsmanship normally associated with the great masters. Only the Chevalier de Saint-Georges is well represented in the catalogue and though that in itself is wonderful, the other composers merit further exploration and whether it be Cedille or Naxos or Hyperion who takes up the torch, the music loving public will be the ones who will, ultimately, benefit. Rachel Barton's playing is wonderful. She may not produce the most full-bodied tone (essential in the White concerto) but her elegant approach and spot on intonation more than make up for any other shortcomings. The Encore Chamber Orchestra provided firm and spot on support and Mr. Hege proved a thoughtful and gifted conductor well versed in myriad styles. The sound and production are first rate, as are the insert notes. Cannot, I repeat, cannot be recommend enough.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really lovely violin music.,
By An Elementary Teacher (United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Violin Concertos by Black Composers of the 18th & 19th Centuries (Audio CD)
I'm a violin teacher, and this is really lovely music. I enjoy listening to the CD for relaxation. The Chevalier de Saint Georges piece is especially nice, I think. He is someone I had never heard of before I bought this CD. I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys violin music. So often violinists think that all the great violin music is well known, and therefore if a piece or a composer is someone we are not familiar with we tend to assume the music is second rate. This CD demonstrates that that is not at all the case. This is great stuff and well played!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Black AND White!,
By
This review is from: Violin Concertos by Black Composers of the 18th & 19th Centuries (Audio CD)
This is a fabulous find. It's so good to have new works performed instead of the usual fare. The White concerto I really like and the Coleridge-Taylor is a real find. Full marks to Rachel Barton and the record company for this release. More please!
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