MAZEPPA by Tchaikovsky
"If it at first it seemed a little foolhardy to mount such a big work on a small scale, any doubts were quickly laid to rest right from the opening women's chorus. You could just sit back, forget the spectacle and concentrate on Tchaikovsky's luscious vocal writing."

Wayne Gooding, OPERA CANADA

2022/2023 SEASON


W. A. MOZART

Lucio Silla
Sunday, November 20, 2022
2:30 pm


LUIGI CHERUBINI
Médée
Sunday, February 19, 2023
2:30 pm


JOSEPH BOLOGNE, CHEVALIER DE SAINT GEORGE
L'Amant Anonyme
Sunday, March 19, 2023
2:30 pm


New!
VOICEBOX: Opera Salon Series
(at The Edward Jackman Centre - 947 Queen Street East, Toronto)

THE YOUNG MOZART
November 5, 2022 4 pm

CLASSICAL CHERUBINI IN THE TIMES OF MOZART
January 21, 2023 4 pm

THE PARISIAN CHEVALIER DE SAINT-GEORGES
March 4, 2023 4 pm


 

 

JOSEPH BOLOGNE, CHEVALIER DE SAINT
L'Amant Anonyme
A French Opera

Sunday, March 19, 2023

An unjustly neglected 1780 chamber opera by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a pioneering Black composer. This is the only complete opera from him that is known to have survived.

David Fallis, Conductor
Robert Cooper, Chorus Director

Featuring
Dion Mazerolle as Ophémon
Ruth Acheampongas Jeannette
Alexander Cappellazzo as Valcour
Holly Chaplin as Leontine
Joshua Clemenger as Colin

SYNOPSIS

Valcour knows that he could never directly tell Leontine how he feels about her. After her husband died, leaving her independently wealthy, she swore never to entertain another relationship. This fact does not stop him from trying however, and for the past four years he has also played the role of an anonymous lover, sending her gifts and letters, but never revealing his identity. In fact, he has treated the whole situation with such an austere detachment, that Leontine could never suspect him.

However, playing this dual identity puts a great weight on Valcour, and he really feels that he can no longer love Leontine in secret. He creates a plan to reveal that he was the anonymous lover all along, and enlists the help of Ophemon, Leontine's tutor, and two of her friends from the village, Jeannette and Colin, who are about to get married. Whether Leontine returns his affection or not, at least he will have an answer, and will no longer bear the weight of hiding.