‘Largely forgotten by a history’: The Black violinist who inspired Beethoven

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This biracial violinist had recently arrived in Vienna, and he inspired one of Beethoven’s most famous and passionate pieces, the “Kreutzer Sonata”. He was the first violinist of the Prince of Wales’ band; the organist and composer Samuel Wesley wrote that Bridgetower was “justly ranked with the very first masters of the violin”. Once more!” After the performance, Beethoven presented Bridgetower his tuning fork and wrote a dedication on the score: “Sonata mulattica composta per il mulatto Brischdauer, gran pazzo e compositore mulattico”. It’s unknown if Bridgetower ever played the “Kreutzer Sonata” again, or if he was in contact with Beethoven after their rift.