Roger Waters - ?a Ira
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Free Music Notes for ?a Ira
Free Music Review: Worth the investment
Hit: 5 Stars
A must for any Roger Waters fan. There is also a very good DVD inside that shows the making of the opera. Roger Waters as you have never seen him before.Free Music Review: Worth it
Hit: 4 Stars
Some aspects of "Ca ira":
NOT A REAL SOLO ALBUM
It's remarkable that, from a creative standpoint, and contrary to what he uses to do, this is not really a one-man Waters album: the original French libretto was written by his two late French friends Etienne and Nadine Rhoda-Gil; and the orchestration and choral arrangements were provided by Rick Wentworth. Like Paul McCartney, Waters cannot read or write traditional scores. Of course, everything must be approved by the mastermind, i.e. Mr. Waters (just as he must approve, for instance, the guitar solos or the guests' singing in his rock albums). And, as far as I know, the English translation is his.
MORE AN ORATORIO THAN A REAL OPERA
The plot revolves around the first years of the French Revolution. But there are very few real dialogues, it's not a really theatrical or dramatic work. It could not be turned into a play or a movie, because of the lack of action onstage, and the lack of psychological give-and-take between the characters. (That, in spite of the presence of shooting guns, cannons and a guillotine onstage!) Which is odd to me, because there are very few things more suitable to drama than the French Revolution. This is attributable to Rhoda-Gil's libretto, which is more a series of recited thoughts by isolated characters who mostly play the parts of "narrators", as if in an oratorio.
1960s OPTIMISM
The moral of the story is, of course, that "there is hope" in spite of the bloodbath, the treasons, the cheating, the exploitation and the pettiness shown by almost everybody during the Revolution. I think it's basically true, because laws and political systems are better (at least theoretically) after that historical period... but the actual Revolution degenerated into a fight that eventually led to Napoleon's Empire, not a very democratic regime. (Were all French persons at that time a mere wild mob, or a sanctified People?) The way the Revolution is portrayed in this opera sounds to me very much like a 1968 student-strike French or San Franciscan hippie idealism... After all, that's Rhoda Gil's and Waters' generation.
MORE RECITATIVO THAN A SERIES OF ARIAS
As all Waters' fans know, his great strength lies on his concepts, his clever lyrics, and his ability to organize ideas and a few melodies into a structured whole that conveys significant humanitarian messages very effectively, everything with a very professional and polished production (plus some great guest musicians). But... he is not really a brilliant melodist. His splendid memorable riffs ("Money", "Another Brick in the Wall", "Not Now John", "What God Wants") are more bluesy, rhythmic, not really great as pure melodic inventions. To hear the difference, let's compare his work (again) to McCartney's, the other rocker-turned-into-orchestral-composer. Sir Paul is a born melodist, and in two bars he can tell a musical story (which sometimes makes him too conceptually shallow), whereas Waters needs more space to produce contrasts (which sometimes makes him too musically dry).
All this is heard in "Ca ira": if Waters chose a master, it would be Wagner rather than Mozart or Rossini. In many parts, he words are more recited by the opera singers than melodically sung. There are not real arias, but in many parts a continuous flow of music, of a deliberately unfinished melody blending into another without a pause, just as in Wagner's recitativo (mutatis mutandis: all differences considered!). Also, reiterated melodic motifs are used. It sounds to me very much like the "Pros and Cons" structure translated into orchestral music. In a few parts, however, very catchy simple melodies are presented, and they sound very emotional (especially the marches, like track No. 3 of CD 3).
But again... the orchestral richness is not always present. Certain arrangements sound like movie music, which can be great some times, but some others not. We're very far from the density found in Wagner or Richard Strauss, without the luminosity found in Mozart. There's a struggle to find an orchestral language. Sometimes it's too dense to be a simple rock opera, but now and then too mellow to be a real musically dramatic score. But when it gels, it gels greatly, as in act 3, scene 1, for instance.
GREAT PERFORMANCE
The vocal level of Bryn Terfel, Paul Groves and Ying Huang is superb! And the children's chorus is very beautiful.
ALL IN ALL
"Ca ira" is a serious effort, not a mere dilettante's work or a frivolous approach to a centuries-old musical genre. There are memorable parts in it, sparks of real human drama here and there, perfectly transmitted by the music. Maybe it's not a masterpiece at all moments, maybe at certain times you'll need more than a little patience while listening, but you can feel emotion all through it. It grows on you. It's indispensable to all Waters' fans, and it can be a very acceptable introduction into opera for many.
"Ca ira" is worth it.
Free Music Review: WOW
Hit: 5 Stars
I just wonder how he can do it. I used to believe that (the Wall) was the best Album ever to be made, but here comes Ca Ira, it is a work of a genius , it took a couple of times to get used to it first because I was never an Opera fan & now I can not stop listening to it.
This is Roger waters at his best, and the Musicians are world class
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Free Music Review: The Emporer has no clothes
Hit: 1 Stars
This is ordinary & mediocre. The sound effects and the 5.1 surround are good but that is the beginning and end of anything dynamic. The music is lifeless. I had almost no expectations for this and I'm still very disappointed. I couldn't listen to all of the first disc I won't bother with the 2nd. Roger Waters ran out of anything to say years ago. (unless he is trying to say the magic is gone but the suckers want more product)Free Music Review: BOSE Owners
Hit: 1 Stars
This Hybrid versions will NOT play on your BOSE Lifestyle or 321 systems...be warned. I didn't know and had to return it. I contacted BOSE and they informed of this same info. Sony technology.