Sonata Mulattica

The son of a white woman and an African Prince, George Polgreen Bridgetower (17801860) travels to Vienna to meet bad-boy genius Ludwig van Beethoven. The great composers 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.