Chicago honors
'The Black Moz
composer Joseph Bologne, le Chevalier de saint-Georg
by Judi Strauss-Lipkin
O
ne of the “most unjustly forgotten” and extraordinary composers of the classical period, Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, “the Black Mozart,” (1745-1799) has debuted in Chicago! On September 23-25, 2021, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) under Maestro Riccardo Muti began its performance with the overture to Bologne’s late 18th century comic opera “L’Amant anonyme” (“Anonymous Lover”). The finesse and wit of the piece are distinctive, and its quiescent middle section bespeaks the mastery of a composer with his own clear voice. Muti led a beguiling performance, by turns brisk and vibrant, with luminous playing by the CSO strings. Next, on February 18-20, Music of the Baroque teams up with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association and The North Shore Center for the Performing Arts for the Midwest premiere of “The Chevalier,” a new concert theater work written, directed and produced by Bill Barclay regarding the life and work of this master composer, virtuoso violinist, friend of Mozart, music teacher to Marie Antoinette, the finest fencer in Europe, general of Europe’s first Black regiment and a crusader for the abolishment of slavery. Taking a “concert theater” approach, “The Chevalier” features the interplay of four actors with orchestral and chamber music excerpts. Barclay said the production “tells the story of a composer of color who battled injustice in the 18th century, but whose story speaks just as strongly in today’s changing world.” The plot is set in 1778 with a bedridden, bankrupt Mozart being carried into the Chevalier’s kitchen. Despite obvious differences, these two men of genius forge a friendship of equals, navigat-
ing the new racial politics of a city hostile to outsiders. At the same time, the Chevalier’s weekly music lessons with Marie Antoinette associate him with the monarchy at a time of civil unrest, and he must choose between his loyalty to the crown and the violent pursuit of abolition. Dame Jane Glover will conduct the Music of the Baroque Orchestra at all three Chicago-area locations in selections showcasing the breadth of Bologne’s compositional output, from violin concertos to symphonies, string quartets to ballets, with music arrangements by Barclay. Upcoming performances of “The Chevalier” will be at: • the Kehrein Center for the Arts, 5628 W. Washington Blvd., on February 18 at 7:30 p.m. (baroque. org/chevalier-austin). • the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, Alt-J p.m. (northshorecenter.org) February 19 at 7:30 • Symphony Center, February 20 at 8 p.m. (cso.org)
