Rita Dove

In this episode of SAL/on air, former U. S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove shares poems from Sonata Mulattica. This collection tells the story of George Augustus Polgreen Bridgetower. Previously a footnote in Beethoven’s biography—the composer dedicated a sonata to Bridgetower, then renamed it after the two fell out over a woman—Bridgetower disappeared from history.

In this groundbreaking book, Dove tells Bridgetower’s story and restores one piece of lost history of African Americans in classical music.Without Dove to revive his story, Bridgetower may have been lost to time. In this reading from 2010, which feels like an intimate fireside chat, she brings George Polgreen Bridgetower to life for an audience in whose minds he lives still. Rekindle his spirit once again with us in this episode.