Operas Chevalier de Saint-Georges

charlotte-jeanne béraud de la haie de riou, marquise de montesson, after elisabeth louise vigée-le brun

ernestine, saint-georges’s first opera, libretto pierre choderlos de laclos, future author of les liaisons dangereuses, performed on july 19, 1777 @ comédie-italienne. did not survive premiere. critics liked music, panned weak libretto, given precedence on music @ time. queen there entourage. came support saint-georges’s opera but, after audience kept echoing character cracking whip , crying “ohé, ohé,” queen gave coup de grace calling driver: “to versailles, ohé!”

hôtel de montesson alexandre-théodore brongniart, built after 1769 mme de montesson.

thanks fiasco, marquise de montesson, morganatic wife of duke of orléans, realized ambition engage saint-georges music director of fashionable private theater. failure of ernestine had left saint georges insolvent, glad new position entitled him apartment in ducal mansion on chaussée d’antin. after mother died in paris, mozart stayed there melchior grimm, who, personal secretary of duke, lived in mansion. fact mozart spent on 2 months under same roof saint-georges, confirms knew each other. added incentive, duke appointed saint-georges lieutenant de la chasse of vast hunting grounds @ raincy, additional salary of 2000 livres year. saint-georges mulatto strong, adroit, 1 of hunters... saint-georges wrote , rehearsed second opera, appropriately named la chasse @ raincy. @ premiere in théâtre italien, public received work loud applause. vastly superior compared ‘ernestine’ ... there every reason encourage him continue [writing operas].” la chasse repeated @ majesty’s request @ royal chateau @ marly. saint-georges’ successful opéra comique l’amant anonyme, libretto based on play mme de genlis. close friend of saint-georges, félicité genlis’ anonymous hero, woos adored afar dares not allow see face, have been modeled on saint-georges, ‘mulatto,’ able loved never married european women?

in 1781, due massive financial losses incurred patrons in shipping arms american revolution, saint georges’s concert des amateurs had disbanded. not 1 let go without fight, saint-georges turned friend , admirer, philippe d’orléans, duc de chartres, help. in 1773 @ age 26, philippe elected grand master of grand orient de france after uniting masonic organizations in france. responding saint-georges’s plea, philippe revived orchestra part of loge olympique, exclusive freemason lodge. renamed le concert olympique, practically same personnel, performed in grand salon of palais royal. in 1785, count d’ogny, grandmaster of lodge , member of cello section, authorized saint-georges commission haydn compose 6 new symphonies “concert olympique.” conducted saint-georges, haydn’s paris symphonies first performed @ salle des gardes-suisses of tuileries, larger hall, in order accommodate huge public demand hear haydn’s new works.

chevalier de st-georges charles jean robineau

in 1785, duke of orléans died. marquise de montesson, morganatic wife, having been forbidden king mourn him, shuttered mansion, closed theater, , retired convent near paris. patrons gone, saint-georges lost not positions, apartment. once again friend, philippe, duke of orléans, presented him small flat in palais royal. living in palais, saint-georges inevitably drawn whirlpool of political activity around philippe, new leader of orléanist party, main opposition absolute monarchy. strong anglophile, philippe, visited england frequently, formed close friendship george, prince of wales. due recurring mental illness of king george iii, prince expected become regent. while philippe admired britain’s parliamentary system, jacques pierre brissot de warville, chief of staff, envisioned france constitutional monarchy, on way towards republic. philippe france s “lieutenant-general” promoted him sole alternative bloody revolution.

meanwhile duke’s ambitious plans re-constructing palais-royal left orchestre olympique without home , saint-georges unemployed. seeing protégé @ loose ends , recalling prince of wales expressed wish meet legendary fencer, philippe approved brissot’s plan dispatch saint-georges london ensure regent-in-waiting’s support of philippe future “regent” of france. brissot had secret agenda well. considered saint-georges, “man of color,” ideal person contact fellow abolitionists in london , ask advice plans les amis des noirs (friends of blacks) modeled on english anti-slavery movement.