Christine: The Code Noir is a play about Joseph Boulogne, the Night Saint George. Hi, I’m Christine on watchmojo.com and we’re going to find out more about this fascinating man who had a great impact on art and culture in 18th century France. What can you tell us about his life? What makes it a compelling story to tell?
Tyrone: He was an incredibly accomplished man John Adams called him the most accomplished man in Europe and not the most accomplished African man. Most accomplished man in Europe, he was a master of swords and he was a virtual so violence he swam the river with one arm tied. I could not get in one arm and tied behind his back. It was quite a man.
Kristine: He was called the black Mozart, can you tell us a little bit more about that?
Tyrone: He was a contemporary of Mozart and hidden and all the names we hold in us in these days. In fact Mozart borrowed from the line and for some of the work that he was doing during the Romantic period. He was called Mozart Noir because many people even today mistake his music for Mozart.
Kristine: What is the significance of the term Code Noir
Tyrone: The Code Noir were a set of loss during the Louie period in France that government slavery and slave ownership
The white father of a black son was not allowed to pass his name of his property on to his son even if he wanted to. It was against the law and to racial marriage was against the law.
Although he was the toast to Parish, although he was you know and regarded this as a genius by many. There was still that barrier
Kristine: Joseph Boulogne is said to be a friend of Alexandre Dumas who wrote the Three Musketeers in the count of Monte Cristo, what was the relationship?
Tyrone: Boulogne was colonel for the French Revolution and he commanded thousands strong volunteer army which included Alexandre Thomas Sr. Who was of mixed race. So, the Alexandre Duma who wrote the Three Musketeers and so forth was the son of his compatriot. It is said that the character of Dartanion in the Three Musketeers are actually based on Joseph Boulogne and his fencing skill.
Kristine: Now can you tell me about a little rumor I heard about Joseph Boulogne and Mathew into Anneth?
Tyrone: He was one of her music teachers and they, she enjoyed very much playing publicly with him. So, we don’t know if that actually happened, there are people like insisted did and there are people who say, well it happened because of the fact that they were playing a lot of music together. So, we don’t know for sure there’s nothing defeated him.
Kristine: Thank you so much.
Tyrone: Thank you.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services