Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges - Uncovered, Vol. 4 (Catalyst Quartet)

Information

Composer: Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges

• 6 Concertante Quartets
• 6 String Quartets Op. 14
• 6 String Quartets Op. 1

Catalyst Quartet

Date: 2026

Label: Azica

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The Catalyst Quartet's final anthology volume highlights the historically significant Black French composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, featuring the first-ever comprehensive commercial recording of his 18 string quartets. The digital album is structured around three distinct chronological sets that illustrate Bologne's musical evolution. It opens with his 1779 concertante quartets reflecting the popular 18th-century Parisian style, follows with his early two-movement Op. 1 quartets from 1773, and concludes with his mature Op. 14 quartets from 1785. Ultimately, this collection provides a sophisticated overview of late 18th-century chamber music through Bologne's confident instrumental compositions.

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745–1799), was a pioneering biracial French violinist, composer, conductor, soldier, and elite fencer who became the first classical composer of African descent to achieve widespread European acclaim. Born in Guadeloupe to a wealthy planter and an enslaved Senegalese woman, he was educated in France and eventually led prestigious orchestras like Le Concert des Amateurs. Despite facing racial discrimination that blocked him from directing the Paris Opera, he composed numerous instrumental and stage works. Saint-Georges later served as a colonel during the French Revolution, survived imprisonment during the Reign of Terror, and remains a celebrated historical figure.

Founded by the Sphinx Organization in 2010, the Grammy Award-winning Catalyst Quartet is an acclaimed string ensemble dedicated to redefining classical music through diverse and inclusive programming. The quartet has toured extensively, performing at major global venues and prestigious music festivals, and has held notable residencies at Chamber Music Northwest and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Renowned for innovative collaborations spanning jazz, dance, and contemporary commissions, their landmark ongoing project, UNCOVERED, highlights historically overlooked composers of color. Committed to education, the ensemble regularly conducts international masterclasses and workshops while advancing exceptional technical artistry.