God of Arms

This afternoon, I went to a concert at Corpus Christi Church that featured the music of famed swordsman, revolutionary, and opera composer Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges.

I actually wrote a play about the Chevalier in collaboration with Lorraine Goodman, a former opera singer who has also directed a number of operas herself. Bologne was a mixed-race composer who in the 18th century was just as famous for his sword fighting and amorous adventures as he was for his music.

This isn't the first time I've heard his music in concert. Not long ago, a small company in New York performed a chamber version of his opera L'Amant Anonyme, which was quite lovely. Former First Violin of the New York Philharmonic Gabriel Banat wrote the definitive biography of the composer, The Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Virtuoso of the Sword and the Bow. It's well worth a read.

A number of years ago, the CBC aired a special on Saint-Georges entitled Le Mozart Noir that later was released on DVD. (Yes, I own a copy.) A new movie, Chevalier, which presents a fictionalized version of his life, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and is scheduled for a general release in April. Yes, I'll be going, but it would also be lovely if producers of plays took an interest in the Chevalier as well.

The play Lorraine and I wrote is called God of Arms after a title Saint-Georges held that was bestowed on those whose skill with the sword outshined all others. The Chevalier excelled not only with the epee, though, but also with the violin bow and the conductor's baton. 

If you're interested in the play, please contact me!