A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Bridgetower, George
BRIDGETOWER, George Augustus Polgreen, a mulatto, son of an African father and an European mother, appears to have been born at Bisla [[App. p.565 "Biala"] in Poland 1779 or 1780, and to have made his first appearance in [App. p.565 "on the 19th of"] February 1790 at Drury Lane, where he played a violin solo between the parts of the 'Messiah.' This probably attracted the notice of the Prince of Wales, since on the 2nd June following he and Clement, a lad of about the same age, gave a concert under the patronage of H. R. H. In the same year he also played at the 'Professional Concerts.' Bridgetower became a pupil of Giornovichi and of Attwood, and was attached to the Prince's establishment at Brighton as a first violin-player. His name is found among the performers at the Haydn-Salomon Concerts of 1791, and at concerts of Barthelemon's in 92 and 94, where he played a concerto of Viotti's. At the Handel Commemoration of 1791, Bridgetower and Hummel sat on each side of Joah Bates at the organ, clad in scarlet coats, and pulled out the stops for him. He [App. p.565 "His father"] was known in London by the sobriquet of 'the Abyssinian Prince.' In 1802 he obtained permission to visit his mother at Dresden, where she was living with another son, a cello player. In Dresden he gave concerts on July 24, 1802, and March 18, 1803; and from thence went to Vienna, where his reputation preceded him, and where he played the sonata Op. 47—known as the 'Kreutzer Sonata'—with Beethoven, on the 17th or 24th May. After this he is heard of no more [App. p.565 "returned to England, and in June 1811 took the degree of Mus. Bac. at Cambridge, his exercise, an anthem, being performed at Great St. Mary's, on June 30. (Dict. of Nat. Biog.)"], but is believed to have died in England between 1840 and 1850, leaving a daughter who still lives in Italy.
Bridgetower has left a memorandum of the performance of the Sonata which, if it can be believed, is interesting. He introduced an alteration of one passage which so pleased Beethoven that he jumped up from his seat, threw his arms round Bridgetower, and cried ‘Noch einmal, mein lieber Bursch’—'Once more, my dear fellow.'
Czerny has left on record that Bridgetower's gestures in playing were so extravagant and absurd that no one could help laughing.
The memorandum just mentioned is given by Thayer ('Beethoven,' ii. 229); and further details will be found at pp. 227–231 and 385–391. See also Pohl's 'Haydn in London,' pp. 18, 28, 38, etc. Beethoven writes 'Brischdower.'[ G. ]