Saint-George / Pecou: Caribbean Violin Concertos

The Chevalier de Saint-George is in many respects an exceptional figure. Born in Guadeloupe in the eighteenth century to an aristocrat and an enslaved woman, he received in Paris the education of a court gentleman: violinist, fencer, Freemason, participant in the Revolution, and conductor, he was also a composer. It is naturally to the violin that he dedicated his finest works, among which the concertos, marked by a virtuosity that is both unbridled and graceful, stand out in particular. Romuald Grimbert-Barré and the Orchestre national de Cannes pay tribute to this extraordinary life by pairing the Op. 5 and Op. 8 concertos with Thierry Pécou's Concerto Hommage à Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-George. Through it's many biographical references, the work offers multiple poetic points of entry into the life of this singular and fascinating figure, who remains far too little known today.