Saint-George, Caribbean Contradances, and the French School of Violin

This article examines three main questions: first, if some music by Saint-George reminds us of Caribbean music, how can we explain it? This question came up while preparing a performance of one of his symphonies concertantes. We consider the possibility that the contradance repertoire of that period influenced the composer. Second, what is Saint-George’s role in the French Violin School and what might account for his long absence from the violin repertoire? We explore his lineage, his Parisian environment, his colleagues, and the later Conservatoire de Paris. Finally, how might Mozart have adapted passages from Saint-George in his Sinfonia concertante (K. 364), which he composed shortly after his time in Paris in 1778? We offer a few examples.