Uncovering the Untold Story of the Black French Maestro in 'Chevalier'
Joseph Bologne, also known as the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, was a Black classical composer, fencer, and soldier of the French Revolution who was born on a slave plantation in Guadeloupe in 1745. Despite his remarkable accomplishments, including being lauded as "the most accomplished man in Europe," Bologne was denied the ultimate prize of becoming the first person of color to head the Paris Opéra due to racism. His music, which includes references to traditional songs from Guadeloupe, has been brought back to life in recent years, and a new film called Chevalier aims to put him back in the middle of the cultural conversation and repudiate the notion that classical music was long the sole preserve of dead white European males.