Roger Waters - Ça Ira
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Free Music Notes for Ça Ira
Free Music Review: Powerful Music but not a Great Opera
Hit: 3 Stars
"Ca Ira" is an attractive piece of music but I doubt very much whether it can be called a great opera. Anyone who thinks otherwise would be well-advised to compare it with Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov" (1872), which unquestionably is (there are many recording available of "Boris"). The comparison is apt because the subject matter is in many ways comparable. Both operas center on hungry crowds, a popular revolution, and the fall and death of a perceived "tyrant." What are the differences? "Boris" is DRAMATIC. It presents history through the portrayl of vividly characterised individuals who experience various kinds of conflict, with themselves and others. "Ca Ira" is extraordinarily UN-dramatic. There is very little characterisation, and very little conflict. By far the biggest role is that of "The Ringmaster" who is not really a character at all, but a narrator. There are some generic characters like "The Troublemaker" and "The Revolutionary Priest" that sometimes lift the narrative into something like drama, but as drama it never goes very far. The only character that is at all "developed" (as opera critics would say) is the Queen, Marie Antoinette. But here the development is essentially linear, i.e. we see her in several scenes over many years, rather than "in depth." She is not at all a vivid musical creation like Mussorgsky's Boris, or any number of operatic heroines. Despite the powerful individuals in "Boris," Mussorgsky's opera is often said to be primarily about the Russian people, and by the same token "Ca Ira," with its lack of developed individuals, would HAVE to be said to be about the French people. But they too are little characterised. Mussorgsky's crowds are by turns hungry, hopeful, angry, rebellious, bloodthirsty. Waters's crowds move between being mournful and mournfully hopeful in a sort of heroically-suffering way (they are never ecstatic or particularly angry as far as I can see). The most disappointing scene in "Ca Ira" for me was the Fall of the Bastille where one might have expected an exciting sense of an angry crowd bent on destruction. In fact, the scene is very short and there is almost no sense of violence. The smooth musical flow of the opera is not disturbed.
This brings us to the music. To say that Mussorgsky's music, though written well over a hundred years earlier, sounds more exciting and experimental emphasises that Waters has chosen to be very "safe"--much too safe, in my view. There is nothing here to disturb, offend, shock or even surprise anyone. This is an "easy-listening" experience. There is some lovely melody, and some sublime-sounding passages, but the music will never make your heart beater faster or give you goose-bumps. And while "Boris" is full of variety musically, "Ca Ira" is rather samey, a sort of predominant mournful, elegiac, heroic tone spread over everything.
The final test of any opera is, of course, to be staged and any final judgement on "Ca Ira" will have to wait until it has been tried out in theatres. My sense is that staging it will make it all too obvious that there is too much narration and too little drama, characterisation, and musical variety. If Roger Waters's name was not, in itself, a great selling point, I think most opera houses would be cautious about accepting this opera as it stands.
Free Music Review: Its not suppose to be The Wall
Hit: 5 Stars
Ok this album is not Dark Side Of The Moon, The Wall, or Amused To Death. It's not suppose to be. Im surprised at some reviews claiming to be long time Roger Waters fans putting this down because it's not a "rock opera". If you know Roger Waters at all he's always been about the music, above #1 hits and even huge sellout rock concerts. This is an opera, yes an actual opera, he wrote with Etienne and Nadine Roda-Gil about the French Revolution. It's in English, which kind of makes it more of a musical. Again, if you know Roger Waters a good amount of his music is about history and politics (rarely about drugs, unless he's referring to Syd Barrett), which is exactly what this album is about. This is simply him expressing his musical talent in means away from rock and roll. To me this album shows his true genious and dedication to making music. How many rock musicians can break away and compose a full opera? He couldve made another "rock opera", that wouldve ultimately been compared to The Wall and every other popular Pink Floyd album. This is a breath of fresh air. Breathe, breathe in the air...dont be afraid to care. I dont normally listen to opera, but this is darn good...it exposed me to some opera music and a bit of history. Like all of his music, you have to actually LISTEN to it to get full enjoyment. This is just a project of his...he'll be back with microphone to his mouth and the bass around his neck soon. Again, knowing Roger Waters, who knows how long soon is though.Free Music Review: Great music
Hit: 5 Stars
I recognize that many people will probably find my review "not helpful", but I feel obliged to recommend you to LISTEN to this great piece at least 4-5 times before you judge. If you throw your prejudices away and simply LISTEN, you'll be sure that this is really the same Roger Waters who wrote Final Cut, Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking, Radio KAOS, or Amused to Death. Great music!Free Music Review: Great if you like opera...
Hit: 1 Stars
...but unfortunately for me, I don't! This isn't a "rock opera", it's an old-fashioned OPERA! I've been a huge Roger Waters fan for a very long time, and I expected something more from this great genius. I recognize that many people will probably find my review "not helpful", but I feel obliged to warn you to first LISTEN to this dreadful piece before you buy it. If you are looking for anything like Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking, Radio KAOS, or Amused to Death, you'll be greatly disappointed. Throughout the entire piece, I could hardly wait for "the fat lady to sing." 'Nuff said.Free Music Review: a deeply moving masterpiece
Hit: 5 Stars
It took Roger Water many years to finally release "Ca Ira - There is Hope" but the long wait was well worth it as this opera truly is a masterpiece.
Initially, I was very dubious about the entire idea of Roger Waters composing an opera. I am a longtime admirer of Roger Waters, but even "The Wall" cannot be considered an opera in the classical sense of the word and I had my doubts about Roger Waters' abilty to compose a "real" opera. I was quite wrong.
"Ca Ira" is a modern masterpiece on par with John McLaughlin's concerto "Thieves and Poets" or Yngwie Malmsteen's "Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra".
The recording is absolutely perfect, the performance of Bryn Terfel, Paul Groves and especially Ying Huang is of a truly breathtaking beauty and the orchestration Rick Wentworth is refined and quite beautiful. My only real reservation is the libretto of Etienne and Nadine Roda-Gil which, while very lyrical and evocative, takes some freedoms with historical reality (in particular, the description of Marie-Antoinette and King Louis XVI is rather simplistic and wholly misses their moral and spiritual qualities). But then - this is an opera and not a course in French history...
I was quite surprized to read that many reviewers found this opera optimistic or full of hope. I found the music deeply tragic and the libretto often dwells on the tragedies and horrors of the French Revolution. Yes, the opera does speak of the "promise of the Republic which lies within", but the opera really shows how this promise is rapidly overtaken by the far more ugly urges of the revolutionaries.
"Ca Ira" is a complex opera and its full richness is not always perceptible on the fist or second listening and I would recommend listening to it at least 5-6 times before forming an opinion.
"Ca Ira" is a stunning sucess, a real masterpiece which unequivocally shows that the enormous talent of Roger Waters still has amazing creative power. Bravo!