Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges
Lead Research Organisation:
Birmingham City University
Department Name: ADM Birmingham Conservatoire
Abstract
Please see pdf
People |
ORCID iD |
| Christopher Dingle (Principal Investigator / Fellow) |
Publications
| Title | Live broadcast performance of Bologne, Sinfonie Concertante in B flat, Op. 6, No. 2 by BBC Philharmonic conducted by Jack Sheen |
| Description | A performance of my edition of Bologne's Sinfonie Concertante in B flat, Op. 6, No. 2 given by the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Jack Sheen at MediaCity UK, Salford as part of the BBC's Rediscovered Composers event on Friday 4th November 2022. The concert was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and was available on the BBC Sounds for 30 days after the event. This is believed to be the first broadcast performance and the UK premiere of the work. The edition is based on a contemporary set of parts published by Bailleux, Paris. The violin soloists were Midori Sugiyama and Lisa Obert. I was interviewed live by Linton Stephens just before the performance. The concert also featured works by Margaret Bonds, Nathaniel Dett, Kikuko Kanai, Julia Perry and Ali Osman. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | The performance was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 as part of an evening event entitled 'Rediscovered Composers' (estimated audience c. 200,000) and it was available for 30 days on BBC Sounds. The Rediscovered Composers event was explicitly intended to celebrate and give recognition to classical composers from diverse ethnic backgrounds, performing music that has hitherto been neglected. |
| URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ecb6gw |
| Title | Live broadcast performance of Bologne, Sinfonie Concertante in E flat, Op. 13, No. 1 by BBC Philharmonic conducted by Ben Gernon |
| Description | A live broadcast on BBC Radio 3 of the first performance of my edition of the Sinfonie Concertante in E flat, Op. 13, No.1 given on Wednesday 2nd February 2022 by Zoe Beyers and Midori Sugiyama (violins), BBC Philharmonic and Ben Gernon (conductor) at MediaCity UK, Salford. This is believed to be the first broadcast performance and the UK premiere of the work. The edition is based on a contemporary set of parts published by Seiber. The performance was given as part of an 'Afternoon on 3' event entitled 'Diversity in Music', and it was available for 30 days on BBC Sounds. The broadcast also included live performances of works by Margaret Bonds, Nathaniel Dett, Kikuko Kanai, Ali Osman and Julia Perry. In addition there were two pre-recorded performances of String Quartets by Joseph Bologne performed by the Levare and Elmore Quartets, for which I provided guidance. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | The performance was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 as part of an 'Afternoon on 3' event entitled 'Diversity in Music' (expected audience c. 200,000) and it was available for 30 days on BBC Sounds. The event attracted an article "BBC Radio 3 to shine light on "forgotten" composers' on the BBC News website on 27th January 2022 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-60153376). |
| URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001414g |
| Title | Performance of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, String Quartet in E flat Op. 1, No. 2, (ed. Christopher Dingle) |
| Description | A performance of my edition of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, String Quartet in E flat Op. 1, No. 2, given on 26th October 2022 by the Jabulani Quartet at the Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire as part of a Black History Month celebration event at Birmingham City University. The edition was based on three contemporary sources. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | I gave a presentation introducing the composer before the event. The audience (c. 100) consisted of members of the public, colleagues from across BCU as well as local leaders and practitioners. After the performance several audience members said they had been unaware there was a black 18th-century composer. Some stated it was the first time they had heard Classical music live and were visibly moved by the performance. |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bcu-cross-faculty-black-history-month-celebration-tickets-433426308757 |
| Description | The project is exploring the music of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-99). Unlike some of the other composers featured in the AHRC/BBC Diverse Composers scheme, a small number of works by Saint-Georges have received performances in recent years. However, when he is discussed, it is in terms of his, admittedly extraordinary, life rather than examining the music on its own terms. The most tangible findings from this project came in expanding the range of potential works by Saint-Georges that might feature on concert programmes. Two of these have already been performed by the BBC Philharmonic and broadcast on BBC Radio 3: the Symphonie Concertante in E flat, Op. 13, No. 1 in a concert in February 2022 conducted by Ben Gernon and the Symphonie Concertante in B flat, Op. 6, No. 2 in a concert November 2022 conducted by Jack Sheen. Nonetheless, as might be expected from what is explicitly a provisional, exploratory project, one of the most important findings is the identification of areas requiring substantive further research. These fall into three broad areas. First, there is the need to understand the nature of the music within its specifically Parisian context. Allied to this, there are significant questions of performance practice that may have significant implications for the performance not only of the composer's own music, but also that of his Parisian peers as well as the 'Paris' Symphonies by Haydn. Finally, there is evidence to suggest that Saint-Georges may have remained active as a composer throughout his life rather than ceasing to composer around 1785 as assumed by previous scholars. |
| Exploitation Route | The principal further use of the outcomes of this project will be performances of works by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, whether using the editions I have prepared or others already available. Beyond this, the information on performance approaches explored within the project will require ongoing exploration and be of benefit to performers. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| URL | https://www.chevalier-de-saint-georges.org/ |
| Description | The principal impacts of this project thus far are performances and associated public engagement activities. The performance and broadcast of the Symphonies Concertantes in E flat, Op. 13, No. 1 and Op. 6, No. 2 by the BBC Philharmonic in concerts held in February and November 2022 each reached a substantial audience (c. 200,000 listeners according to the Director of the BBC Philharmonic). In both case, the performances were part of concerts explicitly exploring Diversity in Music with a view to expanding the repertoire and challenging assumptions about the canon. Allied to this, there was also a BBC Radio 3 Free Thinking programme also exploring questions around diversity in music. Additional activity contributing towards raising the profile and understanding of this music includes LinkedIn posts, a Public Research Seminar (November 2021), an essay and video interview for Glyndebourne Opera (Autumn 2022), as well as a presentation and performance of the String Quartet Op. 1, No. 1 as part of Birmingham City University's Black History Month conference (October 2022). |
| First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
| Sector | Education,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |
| Description | BBC Radio 3 Free Thinking programme on Diverse Classical Music |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Hosted by Christienna Fryar, this BBC Radio 3 broadcast and podcast explored three of the composers involved in the AHRC/BBC Diverse Composers scheme, Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Kikuko Kanai and Julia Perry. It featured input from Maiko Kawabata, Michael Harper and myself, exploring the backgrounds of our respective composers, the nature of their music and the challenges of researching figures who have been omitted from the canon. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0013slw |
| Description | Black History Month presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A presentation on Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges for Birmingham City University's Black History Month celebrations. The presentation included a performance of an excerpt from the Sonata for Two Violins, No. 1 and my edition of the String Quartet in E flat, Op. 1, No. 2. The audience included members of the public, members from across BCU and local leaders and practitioners. There was significant discussion afterwards with audience members expressing amazement at the life of Saint-Georges. Several audience members also noted it was the first time they had heard a live performance of Classical music, the hadn't realized there was a black 18th-century composer and they were profoundly moved by his music. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bcu-cross-faculty-black-history-month-celebration-tickets-433426308757 |
| Description | Consultation session with the Levare and Elmore Quartets |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | This was a consultation session with the Levare and Elmore Quartets, student ensembles based at the Royal Northern College of Music, prior to BBC recording sessions for performances to be broadcast on 2nd February 2022. I provided the session in order to answer the students' queries about issues of performance practice and also complications arising from the performance materials. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001414g |
| Description | LinkedIn post related to BBC Philharmonic broadcast of St-George's Symphonie Concertante in B flat Op. 6, No. 2 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This is a short LinkedIn article giving brief information on Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges and highlighting the first performance and BBC Radio 3 broadcast of my edition of his Symphonie Concertante in B flat Op. 6, No.2 on 4th November 2022 by the BBC Philharmonic conducted Jack Sheen. It received more than 650 views and numerous people contacted me to say they would listen to the broadcast as a result. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.linkedin.com/posts/christopher-dingle-680a0719_josephbologne-chevalierdesaintgeorges-cla... |
| Description | LinkedIn post related to BBC Philharmonic broadcast of St-George's Symphonie Concertante in E flat Op. 13, No. 1 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This is a short LinkedIn article giving brief information on Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges and highlighting the first performance and BBC Radio 3 broadcast of my edition of his Symphonie Concertante in E flat Op. 13, No. 1 on 2nd February 2022 by the BBC Philharmonic conducted Ben Gernon. The article also draws attention to a Free Thinking broadcast where I discuss Saint-Georges, along with two other scholars involved in the AHRC/BBC Diverse Composers project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-dingle-680a0719/recent-activity/shares/ |
| Description | Project Website |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This is a bespoke website created for this project and my ongoing work on Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022 |
| URL | https://www.chevalier-de-saint-georges.org/ |
| Description | Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Public Research Seminar: 'L'homme le plus extraordinaire': The Challenges of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This presentation was given as part of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire's Public Research Seminar series, a free event delivered online and consisting of c. one hour of delivery followed by a half-hour discussion. The seminar presented some initial findings and resultant queries from the AHRC/BBC-funded project on Bologne as well as exploring some of the myriad challenges for anyone researching the composer. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire/events-calendar/prs-christopher-dingle-23-11-2021 |
| Description | Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Strings Performance Class on Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | This 90-minute session with the entire Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Strings Department introduced Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges to the students. An overview was given of his life and works, along with some of the issues arising from his music. The session included live performances of two of his Sonatas for Two Violins, and two of his String Quartets, with discussion of performance practice and challenges. The session was preceded by a coaching session for one of the string quartets. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Video interview for Glyndebourne Touring Opera podcast |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I was interviewed by Alexandra Coughlan for Glyndebourne Opera's film 'Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges - an introduction', presented on YouTube as part of the contextualization of the company's semi-staged presentation of arias by Saint-Georges during their winter tour. The video has been viewed more than 1750 times. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rjyRjtl2G0 |