Opera Philadelphia returns to the historic Academy of Music in January with the company premiere of The Anonymous Lover, a 1780 opera by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799), who is widely regarded as the first Black classical composer known to history.
Opera Philadelphia returns to the historic Academy of Music in January with the company premiere of “The Anonymous Lover.”
Born in 1745 in the French Caribbean colony of Guadeloupe, Bologne was the son of Anne Nanon, a Black enslaved woman, and George de Bologne de Saint Georges, the French nobleman who owned her. Educated in France, Bologne found his talents in fencing, riding, and above all, music. During the pre-revolutionary period in France, he was considered one of the most important composers of his time — even performing for and teaching the Queen of France herself, Marie Antionette. His life was the subject of the 2023 feature film, Chevalier.
Bologne’s only surviving opera, The Anonymous Lover, is a romantic comedy ahead of its time. When a young widow named Léontine begins to receive a series of passionate letters from a secret admirer, she wrestles with whether she can love again, especially when it becomes apparent her friend Valcour may be the un-signed author. Will love win?
This company premiere stars soprano Symone Harcum in her Opera Philadelphia debut as Léontine, a role she performed to audience and critical acclaim with Minnesota Opera in 2022. She is joined by tenor Travon D. Walker in his company debut as Valcour. Rounding out the comedic cast are baritone Johnathan McCullough, acclaimed director and star of Opera Philadelphia’s 2021 film of David T. Little’s Soldier Songs, as Ophémon; soprano Ashley Marie Robillard as Jeanette; tenor Joshua Blue (2023’s La bohème) as Colin; and mezzo-soprano Sun-Ly Pierce (2022’s Otello) as Dorothée.
Co-produced by Boston Lyric Opera, the production includes a new adaptation by Obie Award-winning Boston playwright Kirsten Greenidge that mixes new English dialogue with the original French singing in a joyful performance told in two acts over 90 minutes with no intermission.
If You Go:
- The Anonymous Lover
Music by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges
Libretto by François-Georges Fouques Deshayes, Desfontaines, based on the play L’Amant Anonyme by Stéphanie Félicité, Madame de Genlis, adapted by Kirsten Greenidge
Company Premiere Jan. 31 & Feb. 2, 2025 at the Academy of Music
Performed in French with English dialogue and supertitles
Runtime is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission
Limited tickets remain available for $11, or a higher price of your choosing as part of the company’s Pick Your Price ticket program, for two performances, on Friday, Jan. 31, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 2, at 2 p.m.