The Other Mozart: The Life of the Chevalier Saint-George
by Hugh Brewster
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Book Summary Information
Author: Hugh BrewsterIllustrator: Eric Velasquez
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2006-12-01
ISBN: 0810957205
Number of pages: 48
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Book Reviews of The Other Mozart: The Life of the Chevalier Saint-George
Book Review: Move Over, Pushkin and Dumas!
Summary: 4 Stars
Pushkin and Dumas weren't the only famous European artists partially of African descent. According to this book, France had a biracial musician dubbed "the Black Mozart."
When I think of a biracial man who has accomplished a lot in many areas, I free-associate and think, "Obama!" I think the same parents who want their Black or biracial sons to know about Obama and aim high would want their sons to know about this man. Young music learners may really make use of this book for Black History month reports, or things like that.
This book speaks of conflicting trends and thus, it is very real and significant. On the one hand, the Chevalier was the son of a rich man and he was treated as a man of high standing; the complete opposite of how he would have been treated in the United States in the 1700s. So in Europe there was a Black man who had access in ways that wouldn't have been possible stateside. However, he did face racial discrimination. Some performers didn't want him to be a lead director of an opera; another person refused to duel with him because he was biracial. So the book never tries to lie and say this high-born brother didn't face racism. Further, it speaks of him having contact with Toussaint L'Ouverture, the Black Haitian revolutionary.
The illustrations are lush here and show 1700s France in that frilly, ornate way that you see in many films. Some young readers may love the book for the illustrations alone. Often, the book spends many pages on other people: Mozart, Marie Antoinette, Haydn, for examples. On the one hand, it lessens the amount of pages on the Chevalier himself and begs the question of why so little info on him exists. On the other hand, it helps to contextualize the times in which he lived. This is important as many young readers will not know about the French Revolution.
In the illustrations, the Chevalier is not painted as especially light-skinned. I wonder if they painted him as if he had two Black parents so that readers from INTRAracial families would be persuaded to see the book. He is not painted the same complexion as Obama, Shemar Moore, Terrence Howard, etc.
I didn't know about this brother and I was pleased to learn about him in a quick, accessible fashion. I hope others can learn of this artist's existence and prominence.
Summary of The Other Mozart: The Life of the Chevalier Saint-George
Joseph Bologne was one of the most famous men in 18th-century France. The son of a slave and a French nobleman in Guadaloupe, the ambitious Joseph moved to Paris, where he was christened the Chevalier de Saint George. During his extraordinary life, he conquered every limitation by becoming a champion swordsman, violin virtuoso, composer, and military commander in the French Revolution. From the plantations of the West Indies to the palace at Versailles, The Other Mozart details the true story of a remarkable man. Illustrated by original paintings and archival materials, the Chevalier de Saint George's inspiring and affirming story lives on.General Books
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