Marcos Balter (CRF 2012) writes in the NY Times on how an 18th-century polymath, Joseph Boulogne, has had his brilliant music and life diminished by a demeaning nickname. Last month, Searchlight Pictures announced plans for a movie about Joseph Boulogne (also known as Chevalier de Saint-Georges).
When the announcement was made, headlines resurrected yet another moniker for Boulogne: “Black Mozart.” Balter writes that, “[Although] presumably intended as a compliment, this erasure of Boulogne’s name not only subjugates him to an arbitrary white standard, but also diminishes his truly unique place in Western classical music history.” Read the full piece here.