The Black Mozart

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.