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StevieG
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Post by StevieG »

Since this is a new page - I have copied my previous post and will keep editing this post until the review is done...


Ca Ira

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Released: September 2005

StevieG rating: 6.8/10

Ca Ira started as a musical project that Waters wrote for his friends, Etienne Road-Gil and Nadine Dalahaye. They wrote the libretto in French and Roger wrote the music. Later, from around 1989, Roger rewrote it in English.

This is an opera in 3 acts. As far as I can tell, it loosely follows the events of the French revolution. This is not really my genre, but there are some surprises in the course of this opera - some bits of music that you suddenly realise are taken from some of Roger's previous work.

Overall I find the opera a bit wordy, not giving enough space to the music. It starts well, and then I find it a little hard to stay with. However, there are some great moments.

EDIT: This has really grown on me as I listen to it more.

Act 1
Act 1 has 5 scenes.

The Gathering Storm

StevieG rating: 3/10

It's an intro. Nothing much happens.


Overture

StevieG rating: 6/10

Has a great intro, with the strings. Then changes pace into the trumpet solo. There are some sound effect which I imagine relate to the visual opera. Overall it keeps my interest. And we end with birds!


Act 1, Scene 1: A Garden in Vienna 1765

StevieG rating: 6/10

The tenor comes in to introduce this scene.


Madame Antoine, Madame Antoine

StevieG rating: 6/10

Marie Antoinette? It's an interesting array of voices. There's the soprano who sounds impressive, and then there are the younger voices which sound a lot different.


Act 1, Scene 2: Kings Sticks and Birds

StevieG rating: 6/10

Throughout, the singing is first class, the music is impressive. It just doesn't always grab me. This is one such song. It finishes strongly, swells nicely.


Honest Bird, Simple Bird

StevieG rating: 7/10

I love the soprano's voice. There are some "Roger" lyrics in here, which don't really fit what I'd expect in an Opera. It transitions really nicely in the next track.


I want to be King

StevieG rating: 7/10

Has quite a bit going on. The music swells and subsides.


Let Us Break All the Shields

StevieG rating: 8/10

Great interplay between the Tenor and Baritone. The music is wonderful in this track. This ends "Scene 2".


Act 1, Scene 3: The Grievances of the People

StevieG rating: 7/10

Starts with thunder, indicating that all is not well! I like the strings at the start. What happens when the people are starving? Petitions, clubs, rallies and eventually riot. It has a looming, ominous feel to it. The Bishops hide the grain but when people are desperate... Musically once again, it's big!


Act 1, Scene 4: France in Disarray

StevieG rating: 6/10

Things aren't going well! Driven by hunger, driven by pain, the people come to the barricade. 300 slaughtered. Musically, it gathers again in the 2nd part of the song. It feels like it's a gathering storm.


To Laugh is to Know How to Live

StevieG rating: 6/10

A quiet interlude of a song. Has an ending sung by children which always adds an ominousness to any Waters song!


Slavers, Landlords, Bigots at your Door

StevieG rating: 7/10

This is the state of France! I really like the Soprano in this - actually, in most of the Opera. The kids come in and remind me of Another Brick in the Wall. Once again, when the strings are given some time, the music swells. The ending is befitting an Opera! Grand!


Act 1, Scene 5: The Fall of the Bastille

StevieG rating: 6/10

Seems to be a "set up" song for the next one.


To Freeze in the Dead of Night

StevieG rating: 7/10

Nice trumpet intro. Mournful. Has a pleasant melody too. I quite like this one. It reminds me a bit of Roger's other works - I'm not sure why.


So to the Streets in the Pouring Rain

StevieG rating: 8/10

It builds into a great chorus! And then quietens down and has some reflective and touching moments. It's a fitting way to end Act 1.

Strength and weakness, love and pride
Is all I have to leave my child
If my child survives
He'll judge men by their deeds and not their smiles
He'll keep his taste of good red wine
His pride, his friends, his lust for life
These are the things that will avail him
If my child survives...



Act 2
Act 2 has 4 scenes.


Act 2, Scene 1: Dances and Marches

StevieG rating: 6/10

Thunder! Bells! Rain! Marching men. There is a strong musical theme running through the Opera, with repeated melodies. This one contains some of these. There is now a Queen - Marie Antoinette.


Now hear ye!

StevieG rating: 8/10

The Queen invites everyone to a ball. The music is in 3/4 Waltz style. It gives the impression of decadence and wining and dining and making eyes at them all.


Flushed With Wine

StevieG rating: 9/10

A lot happens in this song. From the story, things ain't looking good! Musically, there are voices coming from everywhere, but it flows well. This is a BIG song!


Act 2, Scene 2: The Letter

StevieG rating: 6/10

We have some sound effects: the pouring rain; the ticking clock; and others. With the King imprisoned, he writes to his cousin in Spain.


My Dear Cousin Bourbon of Spain

StevieG rating: 9/10

The King writes a letter to his cousin, seeking help. This is the first big surprise of this Opera, as it uses the tune of Every Strangers Eyes from Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking. For sentimental reasons, I love it! It fits the Opera so well.


The Ship of State is all at Sea

StevieG rating: 6/10

Continues the mood of the previous song, with less impact.


Act 2, Scene 3: Silver, Sugar and Indigo

StevieG rating: 6/10

It's short, but has some value.


To the Windward Isles

StevieG rating: 10/10

This is totally different to the rest of the Opera but it works. The choir is awesome and it actually provides a musical relief (to me). And then the tenor and soprano blend it back to the musical theme of the Opera. This is a rousing song.


Act 2, Scene 4: The Papal Edict

StevieG rating: 6/10

Pretty much an intro to the final song in Act 2.


In Paris There's a Rumble Under the Ground

StevieG rating: 7/10

The finale to Act 2 has some interesting musical styles in it. The papal part has a chant (Gregorian Chant?) followed by a "congregational" response. It builds nicely after the sin is declared. The people are sharing the apples, the Pope says Bless You but it's still a sin. I laughed at that lyric! It continues to build and subside, but builds towards a BIG finale.


Act 3
Act 3 has 5 scenes.


Act 3, Scene 1: The Fugitive King

StevieG rating: 6/10

Seagulls! The King and Queen are stuffed! The Pope has done his thing and that stuffs them.


But the Marquis of Boulli Has a Trump Card Up His Sleeve

StevieG rating: 7/10

The King and Queen try to flee with the help of the "Marquis of Boulli". Unfortunately they were recognised. Things are bad :D The music builds again and finishes with the removal of one of the king's ally's heads.


To Take Your Hat Off

StevieG rating: 6/10

Enter the kids from Another Brick in the Wall. :D

To take your hat off
Is the gesture of a toff
But even his lordship needs a head
To take his hat off of


Has a military feel to the song, and ends with a "Present... take aim... fire!"


The Echoes Never Fade from the Fusillade

StevieG rating: 6/10

There is a massacre. The music is appropriate to the occasion.


Act 3, Scene 2: The Commune De Paris

StevieG rating: 6/10

Has an ominous build-up with some fluttering birds. The strings build and then it calms down again, only to change to a marching rhythm again.


Viva La Commune De Paris

StevieG rating: 7/10

Starts with a familiar trumpet refrain. The uprising is in full force and Louis is going down... Takes a while to build up, but it builds to a satisfying end.


The National Assembly is Confused

StevieG rating: 7/10

Has a pleasant start musically. It soon moves back into the recurring theme musically. The monarchy is over, The monarchy, c'est fini. Like so many of these songs, I start listening and think "it's ok" but then by the end of the song I think "actually that was good". Impressive cannon fire sound effects. Roger would do that sort of thing in his sleep.


Act 3, Scene 3: The Execution of Louis Capet

StevieG rating: 6/10

The bells are ringing. This feels like the intro to the next song...


Adieu Louis for You It's Over

StevieG rating: 10/10

Louis is on the way out. There's that Pros and Cons music again! Damn!

Poor King Louis
It's over for you


That has got to be the best part of the Opera. The soaring voice and the tune, and the guillotine. Drama!


Act 3, Scene 4: Marie Antoinette - The Last Night on Earth

StevieG rating: 6/10

Marie Antoinette is next. Another set up for the next song.


Adieu My Good and Tender Sister

StevieG rating: 9/10

Has an inevitable and mournful beginning. I love this melody. It has a finality to it, and sounds so sad. The soprano gets me every time!


Act 3, Scene 5: Liberty

StevieG rating: 6/10

Questions of the guillotine as an appropriate instrument of death are explored.


And in the Bushes Where They Survive

StevieG rating: 8/10

And so, we are at the Grand Finale! The whole cast of characters, at least singers, is involved in this final song. Most of the musical elements of the Opera are brought into this song. There's a fair old message in the lyrics, but one would expect no less from Roger! BIG ending to an epic Opera.

I found myself enjoying this more and more, the more I listened to it.

Edit: fixed a few typos.
Last edited by StevieG on Thu Oct 07, 2021 1:22 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by StevieG »

Ok, I'm done :D
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Post by StevieG »

Cord Hurn wrote:I really respect Roger for straying outside of his comfort zone and doing an opera.
I agree!
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Post by Menolly »

huh ...
Listen to The Wall for the first time in years. Why I have I never noticed the albatross cries from the middle of Echoes in the background of Is Anybody Out There before?
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Post by SoulBiter »

I LOVE listening to the wall and really immersing myself in the music. However it never fails to put me in a melancholy mood for a few hours after.
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Post by StevieG »

I will probably move on to A Soldier's Tale soon while I patiently wait for Sgt to review Ca Ira :D
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Post by sgt.null »

StevieG wrote:I will probably move on to A Soldier's Tale soon while I patiently wait for Sgt to review Ca Ira :D
I swear I will get to it this weekend. I actually have two days off in a row. A rarity lately.
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Post by StevieG »

Looking forward to it :D
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Post by Menolly »

What do y'all think of the prog artist tribute of
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(click on cover for album playlist on YouTube)

and the upcoming
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from which Dogs has already dropped?
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Post by StevieG »

I got part way through Shine On, which interested me for a bit until the singing. Will have to try some more when I'm on the road.
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Post by StevieG »

I’m planning to review A Soldier’s Tale by Roger Waters soon. Let’s keep this rolling :D
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Post by TheFallen »

Despite having repeatedly confirmed that there would be no more from Pink Floyd, the band (well, Gilmour and Mason, plus Guy Pratt on bass and Nitin Sawhney on keyboards) have been inspired by the Ukrainian invasion to briefly reform and release a brand new song in support of the country.

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It's called "Hey Hey Rise Up" and can be found on YouTube here.

Interesting article in today's Guardian about how this came to be. I'll try to remember to provide a link to that tomorrow.

*** Added edit ***

I'd be bound to forget if I don't do this now before bedtime, so here's your link to the Guardian article.
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Post by Menolly »

TheFallen wrote:I'd be bound to forget if I don't do this now before bedtime, so here's your link to the Guardian article.
Thanks, TF. I have sporadically read articles from The Guardian here and there, so I am unaware of their journalist reputation. But, I appreciate this article and shared it on my Facebook newsfeed.
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Post by TheFallen »

You're more than welcome, Menolly.

As to the Guardian? It's one of the more serious UK dailies that in UK terms sits centre left...

...which from a typical US standpoint would probably cause it to be viewed as sitting somewhere on the extreme left :biggrin:
Newsflash: the word "irony" doesn't mean "a bit like iron" :roll:

Shockingly, some people have claimed that I'm egocentric... but hey, enough about them

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Post by StevieG »

I need to get around to reviewing that song properly.

In the meantime, we have the Lockdown Sessions by Roger Waters, a wonderful set of re-imaged songs with Lucius, the two incredibly talented vocalists that Roger was working with for a while.

And the first 2 songs of the 50th anniversary of Dark Side of the Moon have been released. It’s a redux as well. I’ll link these at some stage too.
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Post by SoulBiter »

I pre-ordered the album (Vinyl) Not sure what to expect.
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Post by Menolly »

I like the redux Time. It reminds me of Joni Mitchell’s 2019 performance of Both Sides Now. With Time it’s interesting to listen to the perspective of the lyrics by an 80 year old, versus that of a 30 year old, nu?

I’m not as taken with the redux of Money. Although if Waters was to redux Have A Cigar, I think they would pair well together.
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I've listened to Redux a few times now. I think I'm forming the opinion that this is a masterwork - the culmination of Roger Waters' style over the decades. I was walking to work the other day listening to it, and I couldn't stop the emotion rising while listening to it.

I love the introduction which uses lyrics from Obscured by Clouds days - Free Four I think. Told from the perspective of a life lived and experienced. I'll add this to the "review" list!
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Post by SoulBiter »

I just received my album yesterday. I will listen to it this weekend and see what I think,
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Post by sgt.null »

StevieG wrote: I've listened to Redux a few times now. I think I'm forming the opinion that this is a masterwork - the culmination of Roger Waters' style over the decades. I was walking to work the other day listening to it, and I couldn't stop the emotion rising while listening to it.

I love the introduction which uses lyrics from Obscured by Clouds days - Free Four I think. Told from the perspective of a life lived and experienced. I'll add this to the "review" list!
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