Sonata Mulattica
Poems
Rita Dove (Author, University of Virginia)
Detailing the volatile relationship between the black violinist George Bridgetower and Beethoven, this is a "masterful collection" (Los Angeles Times).
The son of a white woman and an “African Prince,” George Polgreen Bridgetower (1780–1860) travels to Vienna to meet “bad-boy” genius Ludwig van Beethoven. The great composer’s subsequent sonata is originally dedicated to the young mulatto, but George, exuberant with acclaim, offends Beethoven over a woman. From this crucial encounter evolves a grandiose yet melancholy poetic tale. A New Yorker's A Year's Reading; Booklist Editors Choice Award.
Book Details
- Paperback
- September 2010
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ISBN 978-0-393-33893-5
- 5.5 × 8.2 in
/ 231 pages
- Territory Rights: Worldwide
Other Formats
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Hardcover
Awards
Endorsements & Reviews
“A virtuosic treatment of a virtuoso's life . . . stuffed with historical and musical arcana.” — The New Yorker
“Dove's richly imagined book has the sweep and vivid characters of a novel, but it's written with a poet's economy, an eye for the exact detail.” — Mark Doty, O, The Oprah Magazine
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