‘Chevalier’ Review: Kelvin Harrison Jr.’s Fiery Take on a Forgotten French Maestro Ought to Set the Record Straight

The relationship between Marie Antoinette and Saint-Georges was a ripe subject for gossip in the royal court. In , he was a candidate to become director of the Paris Opera, which caused an uproar among theater officials and opera singers at the time who opposed him due to his mixed race, according to Stefan Goodwin, author of Africa in Europe. Despite his impressive career and accomplishments, Saint-Georges was subjected to racist attacks and insults throughout his life. Saint-Georges also led a cavalry unit of more than 1, Black volunteer soldiers in defense of the Revolution in Despite this, his relationship with Marie Antoinette came back to haunt him again, even after she was beheaded in Saint-Georges spent nearly a year in prison on charges of supporting non-revolutionary activities, according to Banat. He was released in , but he died destitute in Paris five years later, at age 55, of bladder cancer. Much of the music he composed was lost during the French Revolution, and his remarkably accomplished life was largely forgotten to history until recently.

Chevalier stars Kelvin Harrison Jr. The Searchlight Pictures film is now playing in theaters.

Joseph de Bolonge/Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges () •

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The Truth About Marie Antoinette and Chevalier de Saint-Georges

Hakeem Jeffries. Jackie Robinson. Who Was Chevalier de Saint-Georges? Catching the Eye of Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette admired the music of Chevalier de Saint-Georges and invited him to intimate musicales in her private apartments at the Palace of Versailles.

The life of 18th-century composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges

Lucy Boynton and Kelvin Harrison Jr. Success can often breed jealousy, and if in Bologne seemed on the crest of a wave, a squall was brewing. The directorship of the Paris Opéra was up for grabs, and to many he was the obvious candidate. He moreover enjoyed the backing of his friend and colleague in musical arms, Queen Marie-Antoinette. Partly racially motivated, and perhaps fearful too at how a new broom might sweep clean, a small cabal within the company objected and Bologne withdrew. Produced in , Ernestine a one-night-wonder signalled his first foray onto an operatic stage which would absorb him henceforth. Much more successful was a comedy, La Partie de chasse , the following year. Premiered in , the opera enjoyed a New York revival in It may be that Bologne ventured to Austria to seal the deal, but whatever, he presided over their premieres in — just two years before his world would start to turn upside down. Unswervingly principled, on the sideof the revolutionaries and never able to resist a call to action, Bologne returned to France in , and as colonel, headed a militia of some thousand men of colour, the first in Europe.

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He was not without enemies, however, and finding himself charged with unrevolutionary sympathies and convicted, he endured lengthy imprisonment — only escaping Madame La Guillotine by a whisker. If rare good fortune had shone on Bologne at the outset of his career, that cultivation of aristocratic patronage, paradoxically, ultimately worked against him. His was an inspirational meteor that burned bright, only to be extinguished prematurely by a political maelstrom; that, plus over two centuries of culturally distanced neglect. A biopic is due to be released next year. By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. No result. Back to Main menu Festivals. Published: March 31, at PM. Share on facebook. Share on twitter. Share on pinterest. Share on whatsapp. Share on reddit. Share on blogger.