Chevalier de Saint George: Sugar, Opera by Charlotta Huldt, International Mozartfestival Havana 2024

SUGAR/AZÚCAR/SUCRE
Opening of the International Mozartfestival in Havana, Cuba in Oratorio San Felipe di Neri the 13 October 2024
Music by Joseph Chevalier de Saint George (ca1740-99)
Charlotta Huldt, idea, adaptation of text and music of the opera “L´Amant anonyme”
José A Mendez, conductor, founder and artistic director of Orquesta Lyceo de Habana
Denise Falcón, conductor of the choir of Teatro Lirico Nacional de Cuba
Cast:
• Anne, mother of Joseph Chevalier de Saint George - Luna Suarez
• Valcour/Chevalier de Saint George - Ire Daniel Jiménez
• Leontine, a rich widow - Anyelín Diaz
• Ophemon, good friend of Valcour - Carlos Manuel Gonzales
• Dorothée, good friend of Leontine - Dunia Pedraza
• Jeanette, peasant girl - Ana Laura Duran
• Colin, fiancé of Jeanette - David Delgado
• Choir, the people in the village - The choir of Teatro Lirico Nacional de Cuba
Synopsis:
Act 1
Ana tells the story of her life, her son's life and her love and pride for him. Her stories interleave the original Bourgeois comedy, where Leontina, a rich widow has been courted secretly for four years by Valcour, who is also her good friend. The reason why he chose to remain anonymous is because he is afraid that she would reject him because of his background. For his help, Valcour has his good friend Ophemon and by her side Leontine has her friend Dorothée, who tries to get her to let go of the strict conventions of society. Valcour plays a trick on Leontine and "pretends" to be the secret admirer. Leontine gets upset.
Act 2
Anne talks about events that shaped her and Joseph's life. Leontine laments Valcour's lack of interest. Ophemon tells her that he met her secret admirer and jokingly suggested that he could visit Leontin that evening. She is horrified, but moved when Ophemon refers to the admirer's broken heart. Ophemon and Valcour agree on a signal, a knock when the secret will be revealed. Valcour visits Leontine´s apartment, but she wants him to leave, as she waits for the secret admirer. A knock is heard. The stories intertwine in a finale with a classic catharsis, which highlights the right to reparation, forgiveness and the equal value of all people. Amor vincit omnia!
Background
The opera SUGAR is based on real events from the life of the first prominent black and French composer Joseph Joseph Chevalier de Saint George and the life of his mother Anne. Many have interpreted the male lead Valcour in Saint George's opera L'Amant anonyme as Saint George's alter ego. The text, on which the original opera is based, was written by his friend Madame Genlis, who, inspired by the ideas of the Enlightenment, wrote about the importance of reason, equality and human rights.
The Transatlantic Triangular Trade lasted for about 300 years (about 1500-1800), in which a number of countries in Europe participated and which was mostly caused by European consumers' desire for sugar. Roughly speaking, about 20 million Africans were shipped across the Atlantic to the "New World" and about two-thirds of these people ended up on sugar plantations so that 400 million tons of sugar would be shipped over to the "Old World" so that the exotic spice could be put in European tea and coffee cups.
Joseph Chevalier de Saint George's mother Anne was one of these people who was shipped over and sold as a slave to a French sugar plantation owner in Guadeloupe in the French West Indies, who later became his father.
History
"New World"
Anne, Chevalier de Saint George's mother is taken as a child from Africa to the "New World" on Guadeloupe in the French West Indies at the beginning of the 18th century, when the slave trade really took off. She is sold as a slave to a French sugar plantation owner George Bologne, who becomes Joseph's father.
A total of 400 million tons of sugar were shipped over to Europe, the "Old World" in exchange for about 20 million people, who were kidnapped from their homes in Africa and brought over in floating "coffins" for the purpose of being sold as slaves. The profits from this trade that accrued in Europe were enormous and built the unequal wealth we see in the world today.
In this adaption, Anne is the fictional granddaughter of the Queen Nzinga Mbande in an African kingdom, who was captured as a prisoner of war and sold as a slave by competing warlords in Africa. She originates from Yourubaland and Africa, our largest continent on this planet. The birthplace of humanity and the cradle of civilization with large, rich cultures and societies, where politics and skillful statesmanship effectively spread the mighty Youruba culture through migration and trade. Advanced medical knowledge, mathematics, art, music, philosophy, etc. were developed and practiced on this continent long before Europe and the rest of the Western world.
Joseph, Chevalier de saint George was born on the sugar plantation Claire Fontaine in Baillif on Guadeloupe and automatically became a slave, because it was "inherited" on the mother's side.