Essential The Official African History Thread

[2Quik4UHoes]

Thought I'd do a brief history lesson on the royal figures of modern Ethiopia using pics. Edited and revised edition.

Emperor Tewodros II

His childhood name was Kassa Hailu, he came up during a period of Ethiopian history known as the "Age of Princes" where the power and prestige of the Emperor was eclipsed by the power and influence of various warlords and princes. Each tribe and region had someone they wanted in charge, so the Negus basically became a puppet for whoever had the best army and weapons in order to gain influence over rival kingdoms. Kassa Hailu began his career a "shifta" which is an Ethiopian term for "outlaw" in more contemporary terms it could range from thugs and bandits to rebels and revolutionaries, so these "shiftas" travelled and raided other kingdoms and tribes. Before long, this band of outlaws became an army and from there Kassa consolidated power and outgunned the warlords reigning in control from the rebellious kingdoms of the fractured Ethiopian Empire. In order to keep rebellious Shewans in line he took the prince of their kingdom Sahle Maryam prisoner. Sahle would grow up to become the future Menelik II.

And so Kassa Hailu was finally crowned Emperor Tewodros II and this marked a turning point between the end of the Age of Princes and the beginning of modern Ethiopia. Despite his crowning, many saw Tewodros as a royal surpur although he claimed nobility through his mother. The Emperor believed in advancement, he was much too busy quelling rebellions in the still fragile empire. After the death of his beloved wife he became increasingly brutal. After a British captain failed to secure him help against the Muslims threats to the north he took the Europeans in the kingdom who so happened to also be Brits. His army was soundly defeated, so the Emperor freed the hostages and sent them to the Brits, the Brits respond by saying they'll treat him and his fam with dignity. The Emperor angrily responded he would never surrender, so his fortress stronghold at Maqalla was shelled and using the pistol that brought him fame as a shifta committed suicide on Easter Monday. (Below are pics of him, his captives, and the tragically ironic Ras Alemayhu his son who ended up living in Europe after his father's death. The last pic is a European descendant of very royal blood that was a British actor.)

Spoiler

Emperor Tekle Giyorgis II of Wag

After the fall of Emperor Tewodros II, 3 powerful princes remained from the long time struggle that was the "Age of Princes". One was Kassi Mercha of Tigray, another was Sahle Maryam of Shewa, and the third was Wagshum Gobeze of Wag. Through his mother he had ties to the Solomonic dynasty, but more interestingly though through his father he had ties to the more mysterious medieval Zagwe dynasty and the rulers of Lasta. When the Jewish Queen Judith(or Gudit, which means trouble) destroyed the remnants of the Axumite Empire, the Solomonic dynasty was forced to the south, the upstart Zagwe dynasty then filled the void. Zagwe was a Ge'ez name for the Agaw tribe who are the indigenous inhabitants of the Ethiopian highlands. Agaws were also close with Beta Israel a.k.a. Ethiopian Jews whom were marginalized by the Axumites and later Solomonic lines. The Zagwe dynasty included King Lalibela who built the famous rock hewn churches in the town that bears his name. The nearly 400 year Zagwe reign ended with the return of a Solomonic descendant of Axum and his army. So this Zagwean comeback began with Wagshum's leading the rebellion of Lasta 6 years after the execution of his father by Tewodros II.

In the Emperors final months, Wagshum began marching his army to Tewodros' stronghold the fortress of Maqalla. After a brief detour to eliminate a rebellious rival, and with the Emperor now dead, Wagshum now proclaimed himself Emperor Tekle Giyorgis II at Soqota in his home of Wag. However with no bishop to crown him, his legitimacy was quickly questioned. To close that gap he showed favor to the church and reversed decisions made by Tewodros before him. After diplomatic olive branches to his rivals didn't work, he arranged to have his have brother marry the first cousin of King Menelik II. While Tekle Giyorgis himself was already married to the sister of his Tigrean rival Kassai Mercha. None of this worked, and while Mercha re-gained access to the sea and British support to train/arm his troops, Menelik built up slowly while he let his rivals destroy each other. When Mercha was able to get a bishop, Tekle Giyorgis decided to attack with no support and against his wife's advice. It was a rout, as he lead a charge he was wounded, blinded, and taken prisoner. Tekle Giyorgis, his brother, and mother were imprisoned in a monastery in Adwa. His wife went on to live comfortably in her brother's court.

Spoiler

Couldn't find pics. Musta been real in the field.

Emperor Yohannes(John) IV of Tigray (Pics:His son Ras Araya Selassie in the first pic, his nephew and heir Ras Mengesha in the last pic.)

A powerful warrior with a tremendous army that at it's height waged wars against Sudan and Egypt, he came from the Tigrayan line of the Solomonic dynasty. When the British came for Tewodros, Kassai Mercha with his powerful band of shiftas turned militia gave the Brits easy passage to the increasingly paranoid Emperor. Not only did he regain the coast from Ottoman control in what is now Eritrea, but he received a handsome reward of weapons and money while the Brits took out his obstacle Tewodros. The British looted artifacts, ancient texts, and Tewodros' belongings, some stayed behind to train Kassai's men. Kassai Mercha used some of the new funds and quickly sent for a new bishop in Alexandria and got one, and after imprisoning his rival/brother in law, he was crowned Emperor Yohannes IV at Axum. Yohannes' reign would be remembered for his many battles against outside forces.

When Egypt plotted to take control of the Nile basin(as usual), Yohannes would have none of it. When Egypt invaded and took the city state of Harar both Yohannes and Menelik were infuriated. After no intervention from European "allies", Yohannes mobilized his army and beat the shyt out of the Egyptians in two major battles after which Menelik was forced to recognize game and accept Yohannes' legitimacy. Their children were married to strengthen ties between the two houses. When the Mahdists rose up against Egypt, Yohannes' agreed with the British to let the Egyptians retreat through his lands in exchange that his claims on Massawa in modern Eritrea would be recognized. Naturally the Europeans didn't give a shyt about his claims.

Mahdist leader Muhammad Ahmad didn't like Yohannes' meddling and got to beefin, meanwhile Menelik and another king from Gojjam rebelled, and the Italians took the port of Massawa, all at the same damn time. His second in command crushed the first Mahdist attack and was in route to attack the Italians, meanwhile Yohannes' crushed the Gojjam rebellion but before getting to Menelik and Shewa, the Mahdists invaded Gondar and burned many of the old churches and so the Emperor went to confront them. As his army was soundly crushing the Mahdis, Yohannes was mortally wounded. Before death, he reveals that his nephew Ras Mengesha was actually his son and named him heir. Upon hearing the news of his death, his once proud army almost completely fell apart. His second in command and new heir salvaged what little they could of the army. As a loyal few were transferring his body back home they were ambushed by Mahdis, one of his most loyal soldiers fought to the death against them. Yohannes body was taken back to Sudan and beheaded, his head is believed to be in Khartoum somewhere. The confusion in succession split the Tigrayan branch, along with the loss of their ancestral land north of the Mareb river which was to become Eritrea, damaged the prestige of the once proud Tigray line and weakened Tigrayan influence overall for years.

Spoiler

 

[2Quik4UHoes]

Emperor Menelik II of Shewa

After the death of his father, Sahle Maryam spent some years held captive by Emperor Tewodros II due to the unruliness of his future kingdom Shewa. Menelik was treated well by his captor and even married his daughter. After some time he escaped captivity and returned home, after Tewodros' demise Menelik sought to lay his claim to the throne but was beaten by his much better armed rival to the north Yohannes IV. Reluctantly, Sahle, now King Menelik II of Shewa, accepted the legitimacy of Yohannes' ascent to the throne after his victories against the Egyptians. To consummate the peace, Menelik's daughter Zewditu was married off to Yohannes' son and heir Ras Araya Selassie. The marriage didn't work out in the end and the prince died before reaching adulthood. During the Emperor's campaigns against Sudan and Italy, Menelik and Shewa rebelled When Yohannes was killed by the Mahdists, only Ras Mengesha stood in the way but thanks to more support in the nobility he was crowned Emperor. In order to further destabilize his rival, he agreed to terms with Italy which gave him a nice stock of weapons in exchange for a free hand in a piece of Mengesha's Tigray territory north of the Mareb River by taking the old Abyssinian kingdom of Medri Bahri a.k.a. Merab Melash which would become Eritrea. The decision would have profound effects on the region up till the present day.

With these weapons Menelik expanded Ethiopia's borders far into the south again for the first time since the reign of Yekuno Amlak several hundred years earlier. It's because of this the traditional name of "Ethiopia" was pushed more to the forefront over the more well known and European favored "Abyssinia" which only referenced the Habesha groups. With his European contacts he boosted trade and brought modern technologies and luxuries to the country and opening Ethiopia up to the market. Menelik also founded the modern capitol of Shegar which would be better known as Addis Abeba (New Flower) in a lush valley in his native land of Shewa. After Italy tried to pull the okie doke he mobilized all his rivals and defeated the Italians in 3 major battles. He was on hand for the Battle of Adwa which was the 3rd and deciding battle of the first Italio-Abyssinian War and one of the first times the modern flag was raised. Like all the rulers before him, the independence of Ethiopia would never be up for discussion with anyone. However, his decision not to finish off the Italians had more to do with military logistics, an exhausted army, a nation dangerously close to famine, and the feeling that since many of the Eritreans fought against them they shouldn't compromise lives or Ethiopia's independence to save traitors. In discussing what to do with the Eritrean askari soldiers, Menelik decided on 80 lashes and deportation but his rival Ras Mengesha wanted more his treasonous former subjects. And so, the askari prisoners were mutilated for their betrayal against the old Tigrayan rule and Ethiopia's crown. They were sent off to their new Italian colony missing at least a hand and foot, sometimes even fully castrated. Menelik felt indifferent and concerned himself more with modernizing his Ethiopia and keeping Europe at bay. However this incident, like many, would be remembered by Eritreans and slyly used by the Italians in their politicizing of their new colonial subjects. It was the first of many incidents which cut even deeper in the wound of betrayal between each side. The conflict born between Ethiopia and Eritrea would become a blemish on what was one of the greatest reigns in the dynasty.

Spoiler

Lij Iyasu V

Grand nephew of Menelik II. He was chosen as next to rule, but he was pretty rebellious and while he had progressive ideas he wasn't the leader or diplomat Menelik was. When he reportedly converted to Islam he got excommunicated which all but nullified his legitimacy. So while he held rule briefly he was never officially crowned by the Church. This is why he goes by the regal title of "Lij" which means "child" in Amharic but is used as a title for royal children. His grandson is one of my brother's close friends. After he was deposed he was kept in good shape by his Aunt the Empress, upon escaping and plotting rebellion against Ras Tafari he was again imprisoned. (Iyasu and Ras Tafari were cousins that were in similar circles as some of the pics show, the last pic shows his imprisonment by which point Ras Tafari now went by his christen name Haile Selassie)

Spoiler

Empress Zewditu

Since her nephew Iyasu was too volatile to rule, Menelik's daughter Zewditu was crowned Empress while Ras Tafari acted as her regent. Despite Iyasu's alienation from the nobility, his aunt loved him dearly and saw fit that he be taken care of as if nothing changed. The Empress was a very loving person, especially considering as how Iyasu was particularly harsh towards her. She was mostly afraid of the damnation he would face by his excommunication given her deep religious views. After she passed and Ras Tafari rose to power his pampering days were done.

Zewditu and her father would be the last to claim an undisturbed direct lineage to the male side of the Solomonic dynasty. Her reign wasn't a happy one, as she felt guilt for going against her father's wishes by taking the throne from his heir even though she knew it was right, as well as the death of her husband in battle against Ras Tafari, and the early deaths of her children. After an attempt was made to remove Ras Tafari, she was compelled to crown him Emperor and let him rule Ethiopia while she quietly ruled over him. As the new Negus led the nation, the Empress spent the remainder of her years building churches.

Spoiler

Emperor Haile Selassie I

Not much to say that hasn't been said. When Zewditu passed on he now gained had full control. Went into exile during the Italian occupation and spent the time gathering support for the cause of the relentless Ethiopian patriots. The Emperor also thanked various groups for the support given including African Americans who were sympathetic to the struggle. Ended slavery, continued Menelik's work of modernization, brought some reforms including a Constitution. Was a major factor in the development of the OAU and the Pan Africanist struggle.

Ultimately, his downfall had a lot to do with a nobility unwilling to change, a more educated society no longer willing to accept the status quo, a rebellion in Eritrea, and a humanitarian crisis in Wollo. Selassie made mistakes too, he wasn't perfect, but he arguably did more than any Ethiopian leader had done before, and arguably since his passing too. Tidbit, his wife Empress Menen is a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad making their children/grandchildren descendants of King Solomon, Queen Sheba, and the Prophet Muhammad.

Spoiler

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Wow, took a whole year for this thread to get stickied.....

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Emperor Haile Selassie I (Not much to say that hasn't been said. When Zewditu passed, he had by then gained the confidence of the nobility and breezed to the crown. Went into exile during the Italian occupation and spent the time thanking various groups for the support given including African Americans who were sympathetic to the struggle. Ultimately, his downfall had a lot to do with a nobility unwilling to change and a society no longer willing to accept the status quo. Selassie made mistakes, he wasn't perfect, but he did more than any Ethiopian leader had done before and arguably since his passing too. Tidbit, his wife Empress Menen is a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad making their children/grandchildren descendants of King Solomon, Queen Sheba, and the Prophet Muhammad.)

Spoiler

Emmanuel I Selassie I Jah Rastafari

 

[↓R↑LYB]

what are some good books to read that y'all would recommend on African culture in general?

 

[Sinnerman]

@bdizzle

when we gettin that Mansa Musa post

 

[↓R↑LYB]

@bdizzle

when we gettin that Mansa Musa post

I'm drinking now, so there's a strong possibility it might be tonight

 

[↓R↑LYB]

And I know this shyt is totally random, but my girl told me that got black dolls with natural hair now. shyt had me like when she told me.

I assumed that when the time came I'd have to make some myself.

 

[2Quik4UHoes]

Emmanuel I Selassie I Jah Rastafari

Hail H.I.M.

Selassie know my fam loved him.

 

[J-Nice]

Chevalier de Saint-George

Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-George, was born on Christmas day, 1745, on the French-Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. His mother was a young Senegalese slave of remarkable beauty. Joseph’s father, George de Bologne Saint-George, a descendant of the ancient house of Bologne in Italy, was a wealthy sugar and coffee plantation owner and a former "Gentleman in the King’s Chamber" in the court of Louis the XV, King of France.

Musically Saint George may very well have been the "King of Pop" of his age; militarily he helped prevent what could have been the early collapse of the French Revolution. The vicissitudes of his journey are dramatic: from a young outsider in Paris to the dizzying heights of superstardom in pre-Revolutionary France ("The Famous Saint George") to an utterly tragic end in which a man whose company had once been fought over by royalty and great aristocrats, died alone, unmarried and destitute. In his lifetime Saint George was a an elite musketeer of the King’s Horse Guard; a master-swordsman and Europe’s fencing champion; a composer, violin impresario, and opera director that influenced Mozart; a playboy; and a military hero in the French Revolution—ironically all in an age when slavery was endemic and white superiority was dogma.
Mother and Father
Not much is known of Saint George’s mother who was given the name "Nanon". Initially Nanon must have been one of the Bologne-Saint-George’s household slaves. The famous swordsman Henry Angelo claimed that Saint George’s mother Nanon was "one of the most beautiful women that Africa has ever sent to the plantations" and that "St-Georges combined in his person his mother’s grace and good looks and his father’s vigor and assurance".

It is unclear as to whether Nanon was born in Guadeloupe or if she survived the hellish three-month "middle passage" in the hull of a slave ship. However given numerous accounts of her as "Senegalese" it is likely that she did endure the "middle passage" as a young girl because the original African homeland of slaves that were born locally on plantations was rarely referred to.

Whatever her precise geographic origin, Nanon apparently went on to eventually enjoy a relatively honorable position (considering the time) in the Bologne household and was treated more like a second wife and less like a slave. Although seemingly unusual at first glance, Nanon’s position was actually fairly common. Slavery in the US also featured distinctions between "house" and "field" slaves that were sometimes worlds apart.

Recent research has established that Saint George’s father was George de Bologne Saint-George, (b. 1710) a former Gentleman of the King’s (Louis XV) Bedchamber and an important planter at Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe. George de Bologne was the son of Pierre de Bologne I, a wealthy colonist and major in the Lonvilliers regiment in Guadeloupe. According to a petition Pierre de Bologne II (George’s elder brother and Saint George’s uncle) made in 1769-1770, the family traced its descent from the "noble and ancient house of Bologne, originating in Italy, and from the city of that name". Pierre de Bologne II acquired a significant reputation as a poet and was admitted to the Academy of the Inestricati of Bologne in Italy. The Bologne family owned thriving sugar and coffee plantations and many of them held senior ranks in the colony’s armed forces.

George de Bologne Saint-George (b.1710) married Elizabeth Françoise Jeanne Mérican on 8 September 1739 and on 21 January 1740, a daughter was born, Elizabeth Bénédictine de Bologne, the only child whose name appears in any of the existing documentation concerning the family. There is, however, one exception to this. In a statement written around 1782 in connection with a dispute between the parish and the Bologne family over its burial rights in the chapel of the Holy Virgin of the church of St-François in Basse-Terre, the parish priest wrote that Bologne St-George had two children, "a girl and a boy, both living in France". The "boy" is believed to be Joseph de Bologne Saint George aka the Chevalier de Saint George.

In 1747, while paying a visit to his uncle Samuel de Bologne, George de Bologne became involved in a scuffle with a fellow guest. Le Vanier St-Robert was wounded on the nose but was able to return home unaided. Three days later St-Robert died, probably of infection rather than from the wound itself, and George found himself accused of murder. He fled Basse-Terre and on March 31, 1748 was convicted and sentenced in absentia to "be hanged and strangled until death ensues on the gallows erected in the corner of the public square in this town of Basseterre". George had all of his goods confiscated. The hanging was carried out in effigy on 25 October 1748. It is believed that George spent his exile on St. Domingue (now called Haiti) although no documentation has been found to confirm this. A note appended to his dossier tells us that he was subsequently pardoned – the date is not recorded – but it must have been before 1755 when he is known to have been back in Basse Terre.

In many respects the story of Saint George is that of the son of Nanon given that the father had a daughter with his legal wife who, despite her privileged life, left no record of remarkable achievement or exhibited any of the extraordinary talents of Saint George.

 

[J-Nice]

An Elite Education in Paris--The Call to Adventure and Nobility
In 1759, when Saint-George was 14, his father returned to Paris taking his legal wife and daughter as well as Nanon and the young Saint-George. The domestic situation of George Bologne seems to have been unconventional to say the least. Whatever the relationship he enjoyed with his legal wife it seems odd given the rigid social etiquette of the class to which he belonged that George should have brought his illegitimate son and his slave mistress to France at the same time as his wife.

It is likely that George’s behavior was grounded in affection for Joseph and Nanon. Not only did George allow Joseph to use the family name–evidence that he acknowledged his paternity, which was unusual for slave owners--but he also paid large sums of money for the boy’s education. It is likely that Joseph gave signs of his precocious gifts at a very early age. Knowing that in the colonies this remarkable boy would be condemned to a life of humiliation and casual brutality, his father likely opted to bring him to France where he would have greater opportunities and suffer less overt prejudice. It is not necessarily overly idealistic to attribute such motives to the father since the evidence of young Joseph’s special treatment is undeniable. George’s decision to give his son the best possible education was vindicated early on by his spectacular achievements.

Doubtless George hired private tutors to prepare Saint George for entry to a regular educational institution and to ensure that he would be able to mix with ease with members of the aristocratic class to which he belonged. His father, perhaps intending him for a military career, boarded Saint George with the Master of Arms La Boëssière. In fact the earliest biographical sketch of Saint-Georges, the "Notice Historique" by his friend La Boëssière, asserts that Joseph’s facility for learning astounded those who were engaged to teach him. La Boëssière’s son, also a famous swordsman, trained from boyhood alongside Saint-Georges. In his foreword to the second edition of his father’s La Traité de l’Art des Armes, La Boëssière writes:

"From the age of eight when my father first put the foil in my hand I had the inestimable advantage of being trained under his instruction and brought up with M. de Saint-Georges, who was my friend and companion in arms right up to his death…"

The morning was devoted to Saint George’s education and the rest of the day was spent in the exercise hall. The young Chevalier developed superlative speed and by his late teens he had made such rapid progress that he could beat the strongest fencers in Europe.

Reportedly he was relatively tall, slim and had an astonishing agility. His stance was superb and with his hand held high he could always exploit the faults of his opponent. His left foot was firm and never wandered, and his right leg stayed absolutely straight. This combination gave him the poise he needed to recover his position and go back on to the attack with the speed of lightning.

Saint-George also excelled in riding and the Chevalier Dugast, principal of the Tuileries Riding School, one of the royal academies controlled by the Grand Ecuyer de France, thought him one of his best pupils. According to 19th century biographer Fetis, "he [Saint George] was an excellent horseman who could ride the most difficult of horses bareback and render them docile".

Around the time he entered La Boëssière’s establishment, Saint-Georges took the first step in his military career by becoming a member of the Gendarmes de la Garde du Roi (King’s Guard). Saint George also went on to join the Musketeers—the King’s Horse Guards. The fact that Saint George was allowed into the Guards proves that despite his color he was recognized as a member of the nobility and was accorded his rights as the son of a Gentleman of the King’s Chamber. The young outsider from the colonies was quickly becoming an insider in French society’s most elite circles.

 

[J-Nice]

A Fencing Champion and "God of Arms"
Henry Angelo, who ran a famous fencing academy in London, wrote an account Saint-George’s athletic prowess:

"Never did any man combine such suppleness with so much strength. He excelled in every physical exercise he took up, and was also an accomplished swimmer and skater…He could often be seen swimming across the Seine with only one arm, and in skating his skill exceeded everyone else’s. As to the pistol, he rarely missed the target. In running he was reputed to be one of the leading exponents in the whole of Europe".

Inevitably the exotic prodigy Saint-George soon dazzled Parisian society and his company was fought over. When he was confronted, as he was from time to time, by jealous hostility, his charm and impeccable manners soon disarmed his opponent. Few would dare challenge him to a duel and on one occasion, when he was slapped by a well-known violinist, he declined to fight on the grounds that he had far too much respect for his opponent.

However in 1765 a master of arms from Rouen and former officer, named Picard, challenged Saint George to a duel with a racial insult calling him "La Boessiere’s mulatto". Saint George declined, but his father insisted and promised him an English style cabriolet if he won. Saint George went to Rouen and easily defeated Picard. Picard was forced to acknowledge Saint George’s superior skills.

A year later, in 1766, Saint George distinguished himself again against celebrated Italian fencer Giuseppe Gianfaldoni in a match that took place before an exceptionally grand audience of Europe’s leading aristocracy and swordsmen. It ended with four hits to the credit of the master Gianfaldoni and two for the young St. George. However Gianfaldoni heaped praise on Saint George granting him incredible speed and strength and describing his parries as "almost impenetrable". Gianfaldoni predicted that Saint George would become the best swordsman in Europe.

Gianfaldoni was right, Saint George quickly became known as one of the leading authorities on the art and science of arms, taught as a master and was admitted to the Royal Academy as a professor. The Academy’s official certificates were issued bearing Saint George’s effigy. He became known as the "god of arms". To have achieved such prominence at an early age must have involved an enormous amount of effort even given his great natural ability, but what is even more remarkable is that his time cannot have been devoted entirely to these activities since all the time he was developing his formidable technique as a swordsman he must have been making astounding progress in his musical studies.

 

[J-Nice]

Le Mozart Noir
("The Black Mozart")
Early accounts of Saint-George’s life claim that he first studied violin with Platon, his father’s estate manager, and later, in France, took lessons with Leclair and possibly Lolli. He certainly enjoyed a close professional relationship with Gossec and indeed the older composer might have given him composition lessons at some stage. A musical education of sorts was considered de rigueur for members of the nobility and some individuals are known to have played to a professional standard. Saint-Georges’s father was a notable patron of musicians and received dedications from a number of composers including the Italian violinist Antonio Lolli and Carl Stamitz. In 1770 the latter dedicated his Six Orchestral Quartets Op.1 "To Monsieur Bologne de St-George, who brings to his good fortune as a lover of the arts the pleasure of also understanding them, and who has given us artists an invaluable gift in the person of his son".

Joseph also received a number of dedications early in life, notably the two Violin Concertos, Op.2 by Lolli (1764), and Gossec’s Six Trios, Op.9:

"To M. de Saint-George, Ecuyer, Gendarme in the King’s Guards.

Monsieur,

In view of the reputation you have acquired through your talents and the support you have accorded to artists, I allow myself the liberty of dedicating this work to you, out of homage to an enlightened music-lover. If you lend it your approval its success is assured. I am, Sir, with respect, your very humble servant.

F-J Gossec, d’Anvers"

It speaks volumes for Saint-Georges’s reputation that two such distinguished composers as Lolli and Gossec should choose to dedicate works to him well before his twentieth birthday.

Saint-George’s musical career was launched in the late 1760s. In 1769 he joined the Concert des Amateurs as first violin (leader). This orchestra had just been assembled under the direction of Gossec thanks to the support of patrons such as Baron d’Ogny and, perhaps, Saint-George’s father. The twelve weekly performances of the Amateurs took place from December to March at the town house of Charles de Rohan-Rohan, Prince of Soubise and Epinoy.

The orchestra of the Amateurs was unusually large for the period numbering up to 76 players with 40 violins The concerts were open to subscription and largely featured new music, in particular symphonies, concertos and symphonies concertante. According to Gossec they provided the opportunity to hear "the most skillful performers of Paris in all parts of the orchestra". The most famous instrumentalists of the Opéra and Court took part as well as celebrated foreign virtuosos.

When Gossec left the Amateurs in 1773 to take over the Concert Spirituel, Saint-George, (age twenty-eight) succeeded him as conductor of the orchestra. In the spring of 1773 Saint-George published his first compositions—Six String Quartets. Later that year, the second of Saint George’s works the two concertos for violin and orchestra (Violin Concertos Op.2) was published and Saint George made his public début as a soloist performing them. According to the Mercure de France the works "received the most rapturous applause, both for its excellent execution and for the composition itself".

The Amateurs won its great reputation during Saint-George’s eight-year directorship and it was this orchestra – and not the Concert Spirituel – which introduced Haydn’s Symphonies to Parisian audiences.

 

[2Quik4UHoes]

Damn, I think this is the same St. George that Alexandre Dumas(Real Count of Monte Cristo) came up under it's the same riding school and they were both mulattoes from the islands.

 

[J-Nice]

Damn, I think this is the same St. George that Alexandre Dumas(Real Count of Monte Cristo) came up under it's the same riding school and they were both mulattoes from the islands.

You would be correct. His father was supposedly the governor of Guadeloupe. There are even stories about him not being mulatto at all because he was said to be very dark. But I think he was.