Roger Waters - Ca Ira WDVD Dig SPKG (47 tracks) +Album Reviews

C'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas rock 'n' roll

O. Buxton | Highgate, UK | 10/16/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I had always wanted to use the quote above, which paraphrases from a remark made by General Canrobert upon witnessing the charge of the Light Brigade to their certain deaths in the Crimean War, as the title to a review of The Final Cut, but now Roger Waters presents me with a far better subject for such a review title.

Ironies linger. A previous reviewer has remarked, perhaps defensively, about Roger Waters' disdain for Andrew Lloyd Webber, made so wonderfully overt in Amused To Death. But there is no fine distinction between musical and opera that I know of - and I have no doubt Lloyd Webber too would like to be taken more seriously as a classical composer than he is. The opera set are a hellishly snobbish crowd, and not just any Johnny-Come-Lately will be feted as a genuine composer. Undoubtedly Roger Waters - who is, after all, a ROCK MUSICIAN, will find himself in exactly the same spot as Lloyd Webber, though on the strength of past comments, I doubt he will get much sympathy from him.

That said, this is a very presentable, listenable, outing, and it sounds cracking in 5.1 surround sound on the SACD. I dare say Puccini won't be rocking in his box - nor would Waters be expecting him to - but while it doesn't forge any new ground in orchestral music what Ca Ira does do is help contextualise much of Waters earlier, more overtly rock, oeuvre. There is something undeniably symphonic about Waters' use of themes and motifs through his music and I think this might explain his much talked-about lack of melody (though how anyone could accuse "The Gunner's Dream", or "Nobody Home", or "Southampton Dock" of lacking melody is beyond me): rather than writing three minute pop songs, Waters is more interested in focussing on making a broader musical statement.

Certainly, and just as with his earlier rock records, familiar themes - on grand scales and small ones - abound. The opening riff from The Wall's "In The Flesh" - as transliterated into "Dunroamin, Duncarin, Dunlivin" on The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking - is further adjusted and used as a recurring motif on the first side of Ca Ira. The shrieking, fade out voice from the end of "One of My Turns" is reprised - admittedly by a powerful tenor, but the similarity is unmistakeable. The happy sounds of summer from "Goodbye Blue Sky" are back, and I thought I heard the chord progression resembling the one from "The Gunner's Dream" also. Waters does make several cameo appearances, ordering the firing squads in the manner of Pink in The Wall. In one piece, the cellos are, I'm sure, playing the riff to the Bee Gee's Tragedy. Not sure if that was a deliberate reference, though.

Nevertheless, the old boy has definitely mellowed. An accompanying DVD shows him lounging around during the writing of the opera on the lawn of his stately mansion in Hampshire with his French librettists, showing more of the leg and chest of a stately gentleman than a commoner really ought to see. But the control-freakery hasn't entirely abated: during vocal recording sessions he would sit right on the soloist' shoulder and comment on the performance of takes, sometimes even singing along. Bryn Terfel didn't look altogether thrilled to be told how to sing by a man who famously sounds like a cat being strangled.

The result, however, is undeniably an audiophile masterpiece. I don't know much about classical music apart from what I like, but this sounds positively peachy. Some particularly super guillotine effects sweep across the soundstage from time to time (perhaps in lieu of the missile from Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert).

It's early days. A new piece by Roger Waters takes months to fully get itself inside your head. Give it time. But don't mourn the missing electric guitar.

Olly Buxton"

Roger's *Opera* Opera

Alan Caylow | USA | 10/06/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I definitely enjoy classical music, and I do appreciate the opera genre, but I didn't own any classical operas on CD. Until now: I've just bought "Ca Ira" by former Pink Floyd bassist/composer Roger Waters. Like many other longtime Waters/Pink Floyd fans, I had known about Roger's "Ca Ira" project for some time. In the pipeline for 15 long years, it almost seemed as if "Ca Ira" would never see the light of day. But Roger has finally finished it and released it to the world, and, I must admit, it's a very impressive work. Basing his classical opera on an original libretto by Etienne & Nadine Roda-Gil, Waters' "Ca Ira" is the story of the French Revolution, with the opera metaphorically set inside a circus ring, complete with a ringmaster, clowns, and acrobats acting out the tale. To make a long review short, I'll just say this: I think the music is quite powerful, the libretto (in english) is very intriguing, and the vocal performances by such opera veterans as Bryn Terfel, Paul Groves and Ying Huang are all superb. I also like the various sound effects, such as guns & cannons being fired, dogs barking, and the falling of the guillotine, as they all add to the mood & atmosphere of the piece. And the sound quality is great, too."Ca Ira" may not be for everybody, as some of Roger's fans may have set their expectations of it too high. My advice to them is this: don't expect to hear "The Wall Part II," or anything "Floydian" for that matter. This is a *classical* opera, not a rock opera. There's no guitar solos, no rock elements whatsoever, and Roger doesn't sing on it, either. But Roger HAS done an incredible job here, and, after waiting 15 years for it, I'm just happy to finally hear "Ca Ira" at last. And it is very, very good stuff indeed. I hope I can see it performed on the live stage in the near future, too. I strongly recommend picking up Roger Waters' "Ca Ira.""

One of the best new operas in YEARS!

Peter Landers | Portland, OR United States | 03/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Forget everything you think you know about "rock" for a few hours. Forget your accumulated opinions about the lyricist and bass player on "Dark Side of the Moon" for a little while. There are connections, but let them happen later. Listen to this as an opera.

I have been an opera fan for forty years. My iPod is stuffed with operas from German, Italian, French, English, and Russian traditions. As far as modern operas go, I never liked the way things turned minimalist. What Debussy, Prokofiev, Joplin, and Britten established seemed to be forgotten for some fad of repetitive drivel. But this fits in where those minimalist things do not. It has melodies, for goodness sake! Imagine that! And the harmony fits in between the simplicity of popular music and the complexity of academic art music.

The subject is similar to Andrea Chenier, but the music is more modern. The music is similar to War and Peace, without the pomposity. I believe this is the direction opera should have gone. Perhaps it will, yet.

And then, after you listen to this on its own terms, as a modern opera, go ahead and think about Roger Waters and his musical career. During the forty years that Waters has been making music, about five were spent "riding the gravy train". His work in that period was the most commercially successful of its time. But that was preceded by ten years of experimentation, resulting in two movie scores and several moderately succesful albums. One could prove easily that his band's lengthy improvisations are the foundation of New Age music. There is no doubt that he took the idea of the concept album and the rock opera to their ultimate attainments. In the twenty-ish years following his departure from that band, he continued to create concept albums. But also during that time, he started work on this project. What do concept albums, half-hour spacey improvs, and opera have in common? Concepts, of course. We opera fans have always known about an overall concept. That's the whole point that the late rennaisance composers were trying to accomplish when they set Greek dramas to music. They had read in Plato that the dramas were sung, so they revived the idea. It was a simple concept, but it resulted in a musical genre that has lasted nearly 500 years.

In the end, I hope other opera fans will understand. I could say "it took a rock musician to bring the heart back into opera", but I won't, because Roger Waters is only a rock musician once in a while, when the spirit moves him. The rest of the time, he's a modern artist with a classical soul.

I wonder, now that waters has learned all this classical harmony and orchestration, how will it affect his future music. I can't wait to find out."

My first amazon review!

J. T. Egan | Seneca Falls, NY | 10/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"*** Four and a half stars ***

This is not a perfect work, but it is VERY VERY good. I've probably listened to it 20 times now, and decided there was no time like the present to submit my first review to amazon.

For classical music fans:

I am a huge fan of Bach. As far as modern composers go, I love Edgar Meyer, Barber, and Copeland. I had to put aside Hillary Hahn's recording of Barber and Meyer when I got Ca Ira. There are some truly inspired musical moments in this work. There are strains and motifs that keep coming back to mind. I find myself singing "Vive la commune de paris" or "we've given more of our blood" or "we will smoke our pork upon the pyre of privelege" or "the poor eat the olives and spit out the stones" or "madame antoine if only we could turn back the clock" or "silver sugar indigo" or "send back to the kennels these dogs that speak of virtue" or "poor Louis and your precious blood as well..." I could go on and on. This opera has really captured my imagination. I would LOVE to see it performed in Italy (my wife and I even have a 10th anniversary coming up) - but we're students and that's unfortunately impossible. Anyway... What VOICES! The vocal performances are absolutely stellar!

I've found myself wondering - does this hold up as a true opera? It certainly is better than "musicals," and it has captivated me more than anything I've heard in a long time. I think it does hold up as an opera. The recurring motifs, the thematic and theatric elements. In fact, I've wondered (with no offense to those who think otherwise) if it's a form of "opera elitism" to wonder if it holds up as OPERA - I think for me I'm just not used to hearing opera in English! It's nice to be able to understand it all! "It's hard to worship liberty when you're hanging from an olive tree.... The promise of republic lies inside us. Ca Ira!"

Ca IRA - Which means it WILL be! (as opposed to it was)I like to think of the positive potential for change which lies within and lies ahead. Which brings me to the next part of my review.

For Pink Floyd/Roger Waters fans

I used to be a HUGE fan of these artists back in high school and even in college. I have to admit I don't really listen to them anymore, mostly because there is a darker edge to alot of it than I want to listen to now. BUT - I once knew every note and moment in the albums of the wall, the dark side of the moon, obscured by clouds, animals, pros and cons, the final cut (those last two were my favorite once upon a time). Though I don't listen to them now, my world view was shaped alot by Pink Floyd/ Roger Waters. I feel a sympathy for the human condition, a desire for the common person to find his place in the world, a distrust of political and corporate power holders, a belief that things can change for the better. All those themes are present in Ca Ira. If the most sublime moments in Pink Floyd music made you want to be better than you were - if the truly "classical" moments in Pink Floyd and Roger Waters really made you love the music - give Ca Ira a try. It's great music (it's not rock) - but take the essence of the best of Pink Floyd and simmer it down let it run loose in another style of music that their most theatrical almost already touched - and you're there.

For non-Pink Floyd and non-classical music fans:

I'm a huge Bela Fleck fan. I had to put aside Paul Simon's Rhythm of the Saints, Tord Gustafson Trio's Changing Places, and Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald when this Ca IRA CD came. If you love music that really challenges you and lifts you to a new place, give this a try. Give it repeat listenings and let the themes become familiar to you. It won't disappoint.

For political folks:

Well, I'm a Chomsky fan, got to admit it. The themes of the revolution are of course still important now. I believe that "to be king is a sacred trust." This music shows the aspirations of people to take their true place in the sun. Yet they sought justice by brutal means that ultimatly could not be sustained or justified. This CD shows the people first aspiring to become their own oppressors "I want to be king" and eventually listening to "the voice of reason" and realizing that "great and small are equal after all" "maybe in the dawn's new light they have a right to the law." Politically, this is a sublime work.

So, this is a lot to say. Musically, lyrically, and philosophically, Ca Ira has been very enjoyable. I hope Roger Waters does another one. I hope he reads this, because I want to say "thank you." All that work was worth it. The chills you described in the DVD waiting for because you knew others could experience them, too - I did. And to everyone else, there is a message of hope. The Tide is Turning. Ca Ira!"

Worth it

Inti Cristobal Santamaría Bolaños | México, D.F. Mexico | 02/28/2007

(4 out of 5 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.

"

Search - Roger Waters :: Ca Ira (W/DVD) (Dig) (SPKG)

CD Details

Synopsis

CD Reviews