‘THE BLACK MOZART’ OR ‘THE WHITE CHEVALIER’? THE WHITEWASHING OF CLASSICAL MUSIC’S HISTORY ALEX BRIAN Ella Fitzgerald… BB King. That’s what Black History Month means to me. When we look back over the last few centuries of music, an extraordinary and irreversible change can be seen taking place. Through the slave trade, thousands of talented black musicians arrived in Europe from Africa - and with them came their culture. Complex rhythms, bluesy vocals and the unashamed expression of emotion are all characteristics we associate with nearly every form of popular music, all of which can be traced back to their African roots. Something often overlooked and underappreciated is the enormous impact black artists have had on the culture we enjoy today. But at least we know who they are! There is still one genre which makes popular music look like a utopia of racial equality: classical music. Ever since Tudor times, there have been black composers and performers who have successfully reached the highest peaks of society. Celebrated at the time, they are now absent from every educational syllabus and concert programme. From Henry VIII’s trumpeter John Blanke to the 19th century prodigies Avril and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, every ounce of creativity that black musicians poured into classical music has been forgotten. Of all of these unnoticed creators, there is one who stands out as one of the most talented men of the 18th century – at least equal to Haydn and Mozart. His name is J and this is his story: Born in 1745 during the height of the slave trade, Bologne was the son a wealthy slave owner and his wife’s sixteen-year-old Senegalese slave, Nanon. He was destined to be denied the same rights and privileges as other Frenchmen, having been born
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illegitimate and as a “mulatto”. Due to France’s “Code Noir”, he was unable to inherit his father’s title or marry anyone of higher social status. Unlike many in his situation, however, Joseph Bologne had the fortune of being born into a family who accepted him. At the age of eight, his father paid for him to be enrolled at a prestigious boarding school in mainland France. He also financed his training at Tessier de La Boëssière’s Académie royale polytechnique des armes et de l’équitation. Boëssière was well renowned as the best teacher of fencing and horsemanship in France and is even attributed with having invented the fencing mask. As it turns out, Bologne was equally gifted with the sword. At 15, he was already beating world masters in the sport, such as the famed Alexandre Picard, who had previously mocked Bologne, describing him as “Boëssière’s mullato”. The match was
watched by a huge crowd, delighted to see a man of such racial prejudice beaten by a student of African heritage. His fencing prowess led him to spar daily in the salles of Paris and even fight exhibition matches in front of the Prince of Wales. If this wasn’t impressive enough, he even fought a match whilst suffering from meningitis, during which his arms were described as moving “like lightning”. It’s unbelievable that he is remembered foremost as one of the first black composers of “classical music” over his skating, boxing, hunting and horse-riding expertise. Bologne’s skill at both the violin and the harpsichord point towards extensive practice from a young age. By 1769, he was a member of Gossec’s Le Concert des Amateurs. Four years later, he was the conductor; another three and he was performing two of his own violin concertos at the Concert Spirituel. In eight years, he wrote three sets of
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