How the Music of ‘Chevalier’ Enlivens the Story of an 18th-Century Creole Violinist in Marie Antoinette’s Court
variety.comJazz Tangcay Artisans Editor It took the combined talent of composers Kris Bowers and Michael Abels to help filmmaker Stephen Williams ensure Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ music lives on after his life story was erased from the history books.
Williams’ new film, “Chevalier” tells the story of the illegitimate son of a plantation owner and slave. Played by Kelvin Harrison Jr., Chevalier is a promising young Black musician who excels at fencing, playing the violin and wooing the court of Marie Antoinette.
In dividing their tasks, Abels wrote the music for the on-camera performances while Bowers composed the film’s score. Speaking with Variety, Abels says, “Each [on-camera] performance piece needed to feel authentic to the scene that you see it in.” Whether it was weaving in a Mozart element, hints of Bologne’s compositions, or pieces from the opera “Ernestine,” which Chevalier is working on.
He adds, “At the same time, we are portraying Joseph as a modern person whose story speaks to us today.” For the film’s opening scene introducing the talents of Bologne to the French upper class via a violin showdown with Mozart, Abels had to begin with the legendary composer’s “Violin Concerto No.
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