{"id":156275,"date":"2023-04-22T23:54:50","date_gmt":"2023-04-22T23:54:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/culture.org\/?p=156275"},"modified":"2023-06-12T13:57:49","modified_gmt":"2023-06-12T13:57:49","slug":"chevalier-shining-a-light-on-joseph-bologne-the-remarkable-black-genius-of-18th-century-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/culture.org\/art-and-culture\/music\/chevalier-shining-a-light-on-joseph-bologne-the-remarkable-black-genius-of-18th-century-france\/","title":{"rendered":"Chevalier: Shining a Light on Joseph Bologne, the Remarkable Black Genius of 18th Century France"},"content":{"rendered":"           <!--  <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n                jQuery(document).ready(function() {\r\n                    jQuery(\".key-accordion-item .key-menu\").on(\"click\", function() {\r\n                        if (jQuery(this).parent().hasClass(\"active\")) {\r\n                            jQuery(this).next().slideUp();\r\n                           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century France, and aims to challenge the belief that classical music was solely the domain of white Europeans.<\/li>\r\n                                                                    <li>Bologne was an exceptional talent and accomplished musician who faced racial discrimination due to his mixed-race heritage, which hindered his career as the first person of color to lead the Paris Op\u00e9ra.<\/li>\r\n                                                                    <li>\"Chevalier\" serves as an important reminder of the significant contributions of Black musicians to classical music and encourages a more inclusive understanding of the history of classical music, inspiring future generations of musicians and composers, regardless of their race or ethnicity.<\/li>\r\n                                                <\/ul>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n            \n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The remarkable story of Joseph Bologne, a Black virtuoso violinist, composer, and fencer in 18th century France, is brought to life in the new film &#8220;Chevalier.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Directed by Stephen Williams and written by Stefani Robinson, the film aims to challenge the long-standing belief that classical music was solely the domain of white Europeans, highlighting the incredible contributions of Black musicians such as Bologne.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>The Musical Prodigy: Joseph Bologne<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Born in 1745 on the island of Guadeloupe, Joseph Bologne was the son of Georges de Bologne Saint-Georges, a wealthy French plantation owner, and Nanon, an enslaved 16-year-old from Senegal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bologne moved to France as a child, where he studied music, mathematics, literature, and fencing at the prestigious La Bo\u00ebssi\u00e8re Academy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His exceptional talents were recognized early on, earning him the admiration of his peers and notable figures, including John Adams, who declared Bologne &#8220;the most accomplished man in Europe in riding, shooting, fencing, dancing and music.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kelvin Harrison Jr. portrays Bologne in the film and underwent rigorous training, practicing the violin for seven hours a day to prepare for the role.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the film takes some artistic liberties with Bologne&#8217;s life story, it draws attention to his extraordinary achievements and the racial barriers he faced in his pursuit of success.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>A Pioneer in the Classical Music World<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joseph Bologne held a myriad of musical roles, including orchestral performer, soloist, and ensemble leader.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He received commissions to compose operas for Parisian venues and often played at high-society musical gatherings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bologne&#8217;s published works contributed to the thriving French print market, and his groundbreaking string quartets helped define the baroque era&#8217;s balance and melody.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His music was well-respected and possibly even influenced fellow composers like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>                        <!-- <div class=\"container-c\"> -->\r\n                        <!-- <div class=\"row justify-content-between\"> -->\r\n                        <!-- <div class=\"col-post-800\"> -->\r\n                        <!-- start html -->\r\n                        <div class=\"blockquote-wapper\">\r\n                            <div>\r\n                                <span class=\"text_quot\">\r\n                                    <p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Directed by Stephen Williams and written by Stefani Robinson, the film aims to challenge the long-standing belief that classical music was solely the domain of white Europeans, highlighting the incredible contributions of Black musicians such as Bologne.<\/span><\/p>\n                                <\/span>\r\n\r\n                                <div class=\"quot_icon\">\r\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-content\/themes\/culture\/icons\/i_quot.svg\" type=\"image\/svg+xml\">\r\n                                <\/div>\r\n                            <\/div>\r\n\r\n                            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"quot_tick\" src=\"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-content\/themes\/culture\/icons\/i_quot_tri.svg\" type=\"image\/svg+xml\">\r\n                        <\/div>\r\n                        <!-- end html -->\r\n                        <!-- <\/div> -->\r\n                        <!-- <\/div> -->\r\n                        <!-- <\/div> -->\r\n                                    <\/h2>\n<h2><strong>Overcoming Obstacles and Confronting Discrimination<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite his remarkable achievements, Bologne couldn&#8217;t escape racial prejudice. As a biracial individual, France&#8217;s Code Noir prevented him from inheriting his father&#8217;s title, Chevalier de Saint-Georges.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, King Louis XV granted him the title as an officer of the King&#8217;s Guard.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His race also impeded his career when he was about to make history as the first person of color to head the Paris Op\u00e9ra, France&#8217;s most distinguished cultural institution of the time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A group of prominent singers petitioned Queen Marie Antoinette to block his appointment, refusing to serve under a mixed-race musician.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>From Melodies to Revolution<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After being rejected by the Paris Op\u00e9ra, Bologne shifted his attention to societal transformation. As an abolitionist and French Revolution soldier, he commanded France&#8217;s inaugural all-Black regiment, comprising 1,000 men.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although details of Bologne&#8217;s personal life remain largely unknown, he was thought to have had a close relationship with Marie-Josephine de Comarieu, the Marquise de Montalembert&#8217;s wife \u2013 a narrative explored in the film.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>The Lasting Impact and Significance of &#8220;Chevalier&#8221;<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joseph Bologne passed away in 1799, with many of his compositions destroyed when Napoleon Bonaparte reinstated slavery in France.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nevertheless, his music, incorporating elements of traditional Guadeloupean songs, has seen a resurgence in recent years, as orchestras and opera houses worldwide perform his works.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Chevalier&#8221; highlights the crucial role Black musicians have played in classical music and emphasizes the need to broaden and diversify historical perspectives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The film not only honors Bologne&#8217;s extraordinary life and accomplishments but also promotes a more inclusive understanding of classical music history.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Chevalier&#8221; has the potential to motivate future generations of musicians and composers, irrespective of their racial or ethnic backgrounds, to overcome challenges and leave an enduring impact on the global stage.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":156277,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[410,398],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-156275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-and-culture","category-music"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156275"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156275"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156275\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}