Musical works by the 18th-century Gaudeloupe-born French composer, violinist and swordsman Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, have been featured in a growing number of performances in recent years as musicians learn more about the gifted virtuoso. As Opera Philadelphia prepares to bring his only surviving opera, The Anonymous Lover, to the Academy of Music Jan. 31 - Feb. 2, its cast and creative team have been learning and discovering much about Bologne, who faced challenges during his life because of his mixed-race background. Much of whose work was destroyed or banned during and after the French Revolution, but recent efforts to recognize the lost or ignored contributions of composers of color have brought some of his surviving music back to the concert stage. This company premiere was a co-production with Boston Lyric Opera, which first staged it in February 2024.
A Tempo host Rachel Katz sat down with director Dennis Whitehead Darling, conductor Kalena Bovell, soprano Symone Harcum and tenor Travon D. Walker to talk about some of the insight they've gained into the opera, Bologne's life and musical talent, and their role in musical history.