Chevalier: From "Black Mozart" to Black Swan– Reclaiming Musical Authorship Beyond White Analogy

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, has long been described as the "Black Mozart"—a label that functions simultaneously as recognition and reduction. While intended to legitimize Black virtuosity within European classical traditions, the comparison reinforces a hierarchy in which whiteness remains the reference point of genius. Utilizing Professor Princess' Black Swan Theory, this work interrogates the historiographic logic that renders Black achievement legible only through proximity to canonical white figures. Through an analysis of Chevalier's life and violin concerto writing—specifically Violin Concerto No. 9 in G Major, Op. 8—this research positions him as an autonomous architect of transatlantic musical modernity rather than a derivative figure. By proposing a methodological shift from analogy to structural analysis, the work advances a broader argument: Black genius is historically foundational and does not require white comparison for validation.