Friday, February 13 │ 7:30pm | Subscribe now
Sunday, February 15│ 2:00pm | Subscribe now
Save the date! Single Tickets on sale June 9th.
Audio Description, Touch Tour, and Braille Programs are available at the Sunday performance.
The Anonymous Lover (1780), known in French as L’Amant Anonyme, this charming two-act romantic comedy chamber opera by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges is adapted from a comedic play by Stéphanie Félicité de Genlis (Madame de Genlis). It centers on Léontine, a wealthy widow who begins receiving ardent letters and gifts from a secret admirer. Unbeknownst to her, the devoted suitor is actually her close friend Valcour, who conceals his identity out of fear of rejection. Through spirited misunderstandings and heartfelt revelations, Léontine learns the truth, culminating in a joyful resolution that celebrates the power of genuine devotion and trust. Will love win? Joseph Bologne’s stirring music is complemented by a fresh book adaptation from the pen of Obie Award-winning Boston playwright Kirsten Greenidge, mixing English dialogue with the original French singing. The third of Bologne’s six operas, The Anonymous Lover was his most successful opera, and the only one that has survived to this day. The work holds a significant place in the annals of music history, standing as one of the first known operas composed by a Black artist.
#AnonymousLoverOC
This production will be performed in French and English with English captions.
What’s Interesting About This Opera…
- The Anonymous Lover is based on the play of the same name by Stéphanie Félicité.
- Chevalier (2022) on Hulu and Disney+ is about composer Joseph Bologne.
- If you loved The Marriage of Figaro, this is the show for you!
Synopsis
ACT I
Valcour is hopelessly in love with his close friend Léontine, a wealthy young widow. He believes she will never reciprocate his feelings, since her late husband betrayed her, and the experience soured her on the idea of romantic love. To protect his secret, Valcour tells Léontine that he, too, has no interest in romance. For the past four years, he has contented himself with sending her various gifts and love notes anonymously. With a village wedding approaching, Valcour’s most recent gift to Léontine is a bouquet of flowers and a letter. The message tells her that if she chooses to carry the bouquet to the wedding, it will mean that she accepts the Anonymous Lover’s affections; if she does not, then the secret admirer will take it as a sign to leave her in peace.
Valcour and his friend, Ophémon, discuss the bouquet he sent to Léontine. Ophémon urges Valcour to express his affections openly, believing that Léontine is likely to return them. Valcour is less certain, however, and he remains hesitant to reveal his true feelings to her. Elsewhere, Léontine and her friend Dorothée are arguing about the bouquet. Dorothée thinks Léontine should accept the gesture. Torn, Léontine turns to Valcour for his opinion, saying that while she does not want to hurt her devoted admirer by rejecting him, she doesn’t want to lead him on, either. She decides to carry the bouquet at the wedding.
During the ceremony, Jeannette and Colin — the bride and groom — sing a duet in praise of love. The joyous atmosphere is infectious. A little later, Léontine contemplates how joyless her previous arranged marriage was and how Valcour’s friendship has been a constant support and comfort in her life.
As the festivities begin inside Léontine’s villa, Léontine, Valcour, Dorothée, and Ophémon linger in the garden, discussing who Léontine’s secret admirer might be. Valcour suggests that he could be hiding nearby at this very moment. As a joke, he hides behind a tree and jumps out, declaring himself the Anonymous Lover, to the general amusement of the group. However, during his over-the-top declaration, he and Léontine share a moment of true understanding that gives them pause. Léontine is overwhelmed, and Valcour and Ophémon try to persuade her that it was all in good fun. But her heart remains troubled.
ACT II
Léontine tries to convince herself that she isn’t in love and doesn’t want to be in love, but she cannot talk herself out of her deep affection for Valcour. The matter of her anonymous admirer makes her even more conflicted. She wants to confide in Valcour, but fears that he wouldn’t understand her muddled feelings. She wishes for either the courage to commit to love, or for her feelings to fade so she doesn’t have to grapple with them.
Valcour, encouraged by Ophémon, has decided that he is ready to tell Léontine the truth, but he wants to be sure not to hurt her or frighten her off. Ophémon goes to Léontine and tells her that he has spoken to the “Anonymous One.” Once he is convinced that she wants to learn her admirer’s identity, he tells her that the Anonymous One loves her desperately, is willing to risk her rejection, and wants to meet her that very evening. Léontine hesitantly agrees to the meeting, and her reluctance convinces Ophémon that although she is intrigued by her admirer, she is really in love with Valcour.
As she nervously anticipates the arrival of her anonymous lover, Léontine finally admits to herself that her heart is full of passion, a feeling she never expected to experience. Valcour arrives, expressing his concern for her and offering his support as her dear friend. Léontine tries to get him to leave, as she doesn’t want her friend and her admirer crossing paths at this crucial juncture. Valcour finally summons the courage to reveal his true feelings. Léontine immediately reciprocates, but now worries that the “Anonymous One” will interrupt them. Valcour quickly clears up the misunderstanding and confesses that he has been her anonymous lover all along.
Jeannette and Colin’s wedding celebrations have overtaken Léontine’s villa. In the meantime, Ophémon and Dorothée have been eavesdropping on the lovers. All is revealed, much to everyone’s joy. Léontine and Valcour decide to wed at that very moment, making it a double wedding, and everyone sings and dances the night away.
Synopsis Credit: Opera Philadelphia
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should I Wear?
There is no dress code for the opera! Some patrons choose to dress for a special occasion and others prefer to keep it casual.
When Should I Arrive?
Plan on arriving about 30-40 minutes early. This gives you plenty of time to park, get your tickets from will call if you need to and find your seats without feeling rushed. Latecomers are seated (or stand) in the rear of the theatre until ushers take them to their seats at an appropriate point in the production.
CAPA Ticket Center All-In Ticket Pricing
CREATIVES
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799), was born on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, the son of an enslaved woman of Senegalese origin and a French plantation owner. From the age of eight, he was educated in France. In 1757, his father was named Gentleman of the King’s Chamber, serving as a personal assistant to King Louis XV. At the age of 17, Joseph was made an officer of the king’s guard and given the title “Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges.” He first came to fame as the best fencer in France. He is only known to have lost one match. Little is known of his training as a violinist or as a composer. He began his professional career as a musician with Les Concerts des Amateurs. He made a sensational debut as a soloist with that orchestra in 1772, playing two violin concertos of his own composition. In 1773, he was named the conductor of the orchestra. Under his leadership, it became regarded as the finest orchestra in Paris and one of the finest in all of Europe. In 1781, finances forced the orchestra to disband, and Bologne became director of the newly formed orchestra Le Concert Olympique. Queen Marie Antoinette, an accomplished musician herself, frequently attended its concerts. Under Bologne’s baton, the orchestra notably premiered Haydn’s six “Paris Symphonies” in 1786 with the queen in attendance. Throughout this decade, he composed string quartets, violin concertos, symphonies concertantes, and other works. During his tenure with Les Concerts des Amateurs, the music directorship of the Paris Opera became vacant, and Bologne submitted a bid for the position. But after three of the company’s leading sopranos wrote to the queen, stating their unwillingness to work for a man of mixed race, Bologne withdrew his application. Despite the setback, he turned his attention to composing operas. His first opera, Ernestine, premiered at the Comédie-Italienne in 1777. Bologne’s score was praised, but the libretto by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, author of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, was not, and the opera was only given one performance. His second opera, La Partie de Chasse (The Hunting Party), premiered in 1778 at the same theater and met with greater success than his first. His third opera, L’Amant Anonyme (The Anonymous Lover), premiered in 1780 in the private theater of the Marquise de Montesson, wife of the Duke of Orléans, who appointed him music director of her theater and gave him a residence in the ducal palace. (Bologne also served as the Duke’s Lieutenant of the Hunt.) The libretto was adapted from a play by the celebrated writer Madame de Genlis, who was governess and tutor to the duke’s children. It is the only one of his operas that survives in complete form. When the French Revolution broke out in 1789, he joined the National Guard in Lille. In 1791, he was appointed the colonel of the newly created Légion Franche de Cavalerie des Américains (American Free Legion of Cavalry), which was comprised mostly of men of color; it soon became known as the Légion Saint-Georges. Bologne served on the front lines, successfully driving back an attack by Austrian forces. Even though he was a war hero, his close ties to the aristocracy made him the object of suspicion. He was jailed without a trial in 1793, on false charges of misusing public funds, for nearly a year. After his release, having unsuccessfully attempted to return to his command, he is believed to have traveled to Saint-Dominingue (present-day Haiti). In 1797, after returning to Paris, he became director of a new orchestra, Le Cercle de l’Harmonie, which performed in the former residence of the Duke of Orléans. He died in 1799, at the age of 53.
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges
François-Georges Fouques Deshayes, Desfontaines
