Sonata Mulattica: a tale of Musical Prowess, Love, and Loss
George Polgreen Bridgetower, the son of a white woman and a flamboyant, self-proclaimed African prince, was born and lived as an outsider. He may have had a quick rise to fame as a child, but later in life, he had an even quicker fall. George’s story was like a message in a bottle lost at sea, until someone found it and turned it into a lyrical narrative capturing the life of a biracial prodigy violinist, who rose to fame, but ultimately threw away his shot with Beethoven, ruined his beautiful musical career, and thus was almost erased from history.
Right off the bat with the first passage, The Bridgetower, we get a brief, though confusing at first summary about the entirety of what we’re about to read, sprinkled with allusions, foreshadowing, and rhetoric. We learn that we’re back in 1783, in Ludwig von Beethoven’s time in Europe. There’s foreshadowing to the lead up of George and Beethoven’s falling out, allusions to some of today’s popular music, infamous names of old musicians and violinists (who, if the bright-skinned Papa’s boy hadn’t messed up with Beethoven, could have had his name next to in the …show more content…
Papendiek’s diary, George’s anguish is revisited: “Once his father was gone, the poor child poured out his woes: that he was forced to squirrel himself away while his father ‘entertained’.” (Dove 77.) The pain poor George must felt from having to hide himself away during these parties must have been horrible. He was the one who performed with his violin, and yet his father took the credit and entertained the crowds that were there to see him, but who did not treat him very well, despite him being an amazing violin player. This had to do with the fact that he was biracial. But the point that he was isn’t predominated in this story, it’s just a subtle background piece of information, so the story can feel more humanized. And it does a good job of
George Polgreen Bridgetower, the son of a white woman and a flamboyant, self-proclaimed African prince, was born and lived as an outsider. He may have had a quick rise to fame as a child, but later in life, he had an even quicker fall. George’s story was like a message in a bottle lost at sea, until someone found it and turned it into a lyrical narrative capturing the life of a biracial prodigy violinist, who rose to fame, but ultimately threw away his shot with Beethoven, ruined his beautiful musical career, and thus was almost erased from history.
Right off the bat with the first passage, The Bridgetower, we get a brief, though confusing at first summary about the entirety of what we’re about to read, sprinkled with allusions, foreshadowing, and rhetoric. We learn that we’re back in 1783, in Ludwig von Beethoven’s time in Europe. There’s foreshadowing to the lead up of George and Beethoven’s falling out, allusions to some of today’s popular music, infamous names of old musicians and violinists (who, if the bright-skinned Papa’s boy hadn’t messed up with Beethoven, could have had his name next to in the …show more content…
Papendiek’s diary, George’s anguish is revisited: “Once his father was gone, the poor child poured out his woes: that he was forced to squirrel himself away while his father ‘entertained’.” (Dove 77.) The pain poor George must felt from having to hide himself away during these parties must have been horrible. He was the one who performed with his violin, and yet his father took the credit and entertained the crowds that were there to see him, but who did not treat him very well, despite him being an amazing violin player. This had to do with the fact that he was biracial. But the point that he was isn’t predominated in this story, it’s just a subtle background piece of information, so the story can feel more humanized. And it does a good job of