Victor-Eugene McCarty
Victor-Eugène McCarty (also Macarty, McCarthy or Macarthy, born between 1817 and 1823),[1] a Louisiana Creole, was one of the first of several prominent free black composers in New Orleans, best known for publishing Fleurs de salon: 2 Favorite Polkas in 1854.[2] In the 1840s he was among the first black men to study music abroad, at the Paris Conservatory.[3][4]
He studied in Paris.[5] McCarty did not publish as widely as many of his fellow Creole composers of the era, but he was well known for performing and organizing other musicians, and playing a role in Reconstruction-era politics.[6]
He served on a school board when he was targeted by white supremacist White Leaguers opposed to integration. They had also driven African American state legislators out of office and assassinated one of them, John Gair. McCarty was beaten near death and spent months recovering as a refugee.from his home.[5]
References
- Kein, pg. 83; Kein notes that most researchers claim a specific year for McCarty's birth, but that it can not be determined conclusively.
- Wright, Jacqueline R. B. "Concert Music". The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. pp. 603–613.
- Southern, pg. 252
- Southern, Eileen. The Music of Black Americans: A History. p. 252.
- William Horne (2020-11-19) [2020-11-18]. "The true danger of Trump and his media allies denying the election results". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.
- Kein, pg. 83
Further reading
- Simmonds, Kevin (2003). Taking His Rightful Place: A Biography of Black Creole New Orleanian Victor Eugene McCarty (1820-1881) (Master of Arts in Music. thesis). Middle Tennessee State University.
Other works cited
- Kein, Sybil (2000). Creole: The History and Legacy of Louisiana's Free People of Color. LSU Press. ISBN 0-8071-2601-2.
- Koskoff, Ellen, ed. (2000). Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Volume 3: The United States and Canada. Garland Publishing. ISBN 0-8240-4944-6.
- Southern, Eileen (1997). Music of Black Americans. New York: W.W. Norton & Co. ISBN 0-393-03843-2.