Eastman School professor Nicole Cabell stars in world premiere opera recording

Classical music composers of color have long been largely ignored or disregarded almost exclusively in favor of white men of European descent.

Only a handful of history’s Black composers — such as Florence Price, William Grant Still, and Julius Eastman (no relation to George Eastman) — are beginning to receive their flowers, albeit after their lifetimes.

An early trailblazer for Black composers, Bologne, an 18th-century French composer and violinist is also the subject of the 2022 film “Chevalier,” which played at The Little Theatre in May. His 1780 opera “L’Amant Anonyme,” whose title translates to “The Anonymous Lover,” was released earlier this year in a world premiere recording by Cedille Records, and features soprano and Eastman School professor Nicole Cabell in the lead role of Léontine.

“L’Amant Anonyme” is a live recording from a June 2022 production by Chicago’s Haymarket Opera Company, but the clarity and fidelity of the sound lends studio quality to strong, heartfelt vocal performances. Performing opposite Cabell in her portrayal of a well-to-do widow who is skeptical of finding love again is tenor Geoffrey Agpalo, who plays Léontine’s close friend and secret admirer Valcour. The majority of the opera details the will-they-won’t-they dynamic between the prospective lovers as Valcour waffles between sharing his true feelings and keeping his love a secret, all while writing Léontine anonymous letters of affection and sending her gifts.

“L’Amant Anonyme” is in the opéra comique style, which means spoken dialogue precedes each aria, duet or trio, and ballet dancers perform during select instrumental interludes. Though you can’t hear the dancers, Saint-Georges’s light and lyrical style suggests elegant movement throughout, and the vocal performances of Cabell and Agpalo are strong, consistent, and refined. Fans of Mozart’s operas just might find a new favorite composer in Saint-Georges.