midnight, reading in bed

In 1803, Beethoven dedicated his Sonata No. 9 (now known as the Kreutzer), to his new friend George Bridgetower, son of a white woman and an “African prince.” Bridgetower, a violin virtuoso of prodigious talent, angered his mentor by flirting with a barmaid the maestro had his eye on, causing Beethoven to tear up the dedication and, in effect, banish the younger man to the back pages of history. Rita Dove’s  verse telling of the story is vivid, nuanced and powerful; its evocative language lingers long after the last page. An exquisite work, which deserves much wider recognition than it has so far received.