Before There Was Mozart: The Story of Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-George

Before There Was Mozart: The Story of Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-George
Author: Lesa Cline-Ransome
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
Total Pages: 41
Release: 2012-11-28
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0307982491

The musical superstar of 18th-century France was Joseph Boulogne—a black man. This inspiring story tells how Joseph, the only child of a black slave and her white master, becomes "the most accomplished man in Europe." After traveling from his native West Indies to study music in Paris, young Joseph is taunted about his skin color. Despite his classmates' cruel words, he continues to devote himself to his violin, eventually becoming conductor of a whole orchestra. Joseph begins composing his own operas, which everyone acknowledges to be magnifique. But will he ever reach his dream of performing for the king and queen of France? This lushly illustrated book by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome introduces us to a talented musician and an overlooked figure in black history.

The Black Mozart

The Black Mozart
Author: Walter E. Smith
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Total Pages: 238
Release: 2004-08-10
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 141840795X

Long before the word Super Star was coined, Saint-Georges was the original. Many people throughout history have been famous for one reason or another. Many have made great contributions to civilization and left great legacies. Their paintings and sculptures we still admire. Their discoveries have made our lives better; their music we still play and sing, but no one in history was as talented in so many areas as Saint-Georges. For a time, he was the greatest fencer in the world. He was an exceptional violinist and along with his teacher, Gossec, he pioneered the composition of the String Quartet. Even Mozart came to Paris to study this new form of music. Saint-Georges was an unequaled equestrian, an exceptional marksman and an elegant dancer. The wealthy copied the way he dressed, and the common people admired him as he walked through the streets, and whispered his name. He was a true Renaissance man and a super star in the Paris of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. What is even more remarkable was the fact that he was a mulatto.

The Chevalier de Saint-Georges

The Chevalier de Saint-Georges
Author: Gabriel Banat
Publisher: Pendragon Press
Total Pages: 600
Release: 2006
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9781576471098

Banat, a concert violinist and teacher, describes the life of this virtuoso violinist, who is thought to be the earliest black European composer, born on his father's plantation on Guadeloupe.

Joseph Bologne Le Chevalier de Saint-George

Joseph Bologne Le Chevalier de Saint-George
Author: Amélie-Mai Wright
Publisher:
Total Pages: 26
Release: 2020-10-03
Genre:
ISBN:

Review A WORD ABOUT THE CHEVALIER ST. GEORGE "I have been writing about African and African Diaspora history for a long time, but I remain inspired by the youth. And rarely have I been more inspired and excited as I am about this current work by such a youthful author on one of the most fascinating personalities in our history. It is a wonderful work and I am so very proud of the author! God bless you! And may this be only the first of the many fine works that you are destined to gift to us!" Runoko Rashidi, Historian Product Description ★ We've all heard of Martin Luther King Jnr., Rosa Parks and George Washington Carver, but not many have heard about the multi-talented Knight of Saint-George.★ Doesn't ring a bell? Keep reading! From his birth to his death, this book will take you back in time to the 18th century on a journey through the life of Joseph Bologne Le Chevalier de Saint-George, the first black classical composer. Focusing on the major talents and key life events which shaped him into a melanin-powered super-star! This amazing book is authored by an 8-year-old little girl who wished to bring forgotten and hidden black history personalities back into our everyday consciousness. An amazing story of an outstanding man to remember during black history month. ⚠ Don't miss out on a unique opportunity to dig deeper into black history by purchasing this book on Joseph Bologne Le Chevalier de Saint-George today! ⚠

Monsieur de Saint-George

Monsieur de Saint-George
Author: Alain Guédé
Publisher: Picador
Total Pages: 339
Release: 2015-07-28
Genre: Music
ISBN: 1250091489

The first full biography of one of the greatest figures of eighteenth-century Europe, known in his time as the "Black Mozart" Virtually forgotten until now, his life is the stuff of legend. Born in 1739 in Guadeloupe to a slave mother and a French noble father, he became the finest swordsman of his age, an insider at the doomed court of Louis XVI, and, most of all, a virtuosic musician. A violinist, he directed the Olympic Society of Concerts, which was considered the finest in Europe in an age of great musicians, including Haydn, from whom he commissioned a symphony, and Mozart, to whom he was often compared. He also became the first Freemason of color, embracing the French Revolution with the belief that it would end the racism against which-despite his illustrious achievements-he struggled his whole life. This is the life of Joseph Bologne, known variously as Monsieur de Saint-George, the "Black Mozart," and, because of his origins, "the American." Alain Guédé offers a fascinating account of this extraordinary individual, whose musical compositions are at long last being revived and whose story will never again be forgotten.

Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building

Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building
Author: Deborah Hopkinson
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
Total Pages: 48
Release: 2012-11-28
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0307983218

This Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Book and ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book provides a riveting brick-by-brick account of how one of the most amazing accomplishments in American architecture came to be. It’s 1930 and times are tough for Pop and his son. But look! On the corner of 34th Street and 5th Avenue, a building straight and simple as a pencil is being built in record time. Hundreds of men are leveling, shoveling, hauling. They’re hoisting 60,000 tons of steal, stacking 10 million bricks, eating lunch in the clouds. And when they cut ribbon and the crowds rush in, the boy and his father will be among the first to zoom up to the top of the tallest building in the world and see all of Manhattan spread at their feet.

Blockhead

Blockhead
Author: Joseph D'Agnese
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 52
Release: 2010-03-30
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 0805063056

A biography of Leonardo Fibonacci, the 12th century mathematician who discovered the numerical sequence named for him.

Flying High

Flying High
Author: Michelle Meadows
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company (BYR)
Total Pages: 23
Release: 2020-12-29
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1250819946

A lyrical picture book biography of Simone Biles, gymnastics champion and Olympic superstar. Before she was a record-breaking gymnast competing on the world stage, Simone Biles spent time in foster care as a young child. Nimble and boundlessly energetic, she cherished every playground and each new backyard. When she was six years old, Simone's family took shape in a different way. Her grandparents Ron and Nellie Biles adopted Simone and her sister Adria. Ron and Nellie became their parents. Simone was also introduced to gymnastics that same year, launching a lifelong passion fueled by remarkable talent, sacrifice, and the undying support of her family. From her athletic early childhood to the height of her success as an Olympic champion, Flying High is the story of the world's greatest gymnast from author Michelle Meadows and illustrator Ebony Glenn.

Young Pele

Young Pele
Author: Lesa Cline-Ransome
Publisher: Dragonfly Books
Total Pages: 57
Release: 2013-04-24
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 0307983579

HOW DID A POOR BOY named Edson—who kicked rocks down roads and dribbled balls made from rags—go on to become Pelé, the greatest soccer player of all time? While other kids memorized letters, Edson memorized the scores of soccer matches. And when Edson finally played in a youth soccer tournament in the town of Bauru, Brazil, he focused on only one thing from the moment the whistle blew: the goal. Here is the picture book biography of the boy who overcame tremendous odds to become the world champion soccer star Pelé.