{"product_id":"the-chevalier-de-saintgeorges-virtuoso-of-the-sword-and-the-bow","title":"The Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Virtuoso of the Sword and the Bow","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Chevalier de Saint-Georges  born Joseph Bologne  was the son of an African slave and a French plantation owner on the island of Guadeloupe. The story of his improbable rise in French society  his life as a famous fencer  celebrated violinist-composer and conductor  and later commander of a colored regiment in the French Revolution  should  on the facts alone  gladden the heart of the most passionate romance novelist. Yet  the information disseminated about this illustre inconnu is found in an extravagant nineteenth-century novel  which contains more fiction than fact. Unfortunately  many of the authors flights of fancy have found their way into serious works about Saint-Georges. Gabriel Banat has set about systematically dispelling the confusion  for the real story is easily as fascinating as any flight of fancy. Gabriel Banat has been a professional violinist all his life; recitalist and member of the New York Philharmonic  he has systematically scoured the violin repertory for interesting and even unknown music. He came across the works of St. Georges and was fascinated by the freshness and charm of these 18th-century compositions. Eventually  he edited a critical edition of all the violin music and  inevitably  began a systematic investigation into the life of this intriguing and multifaceted individual  utilizing archives of the French Land Army  official clippings and untapped personal diaries of St. Georges contemporaries. Banat is the author of an authoritative monograph on St. Georges in the Black Music Research Journal.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44948420362293,"sku":"ByrdShop_1576471098","price":1899.32,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9781576471098.jpg?v=1770043843","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-chevalier-de-saintgeorges-virtuoso-of-the-sword-and-the-bow","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}