Ça Ira (opera)
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''Ça Ira'' ( French for "It will be all right", subtitled "There is Hope") is an
opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
by
Roger Waters George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician and singer-songwriter. In 1965, he co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd as the bassist. Following the departure of the group's main songwriter Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became ...
. It comes in three acts and is a
concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
. The album is based on the French
libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...
co-written by
Étienne Étienne, a French analog of Stephen or Steven, is a masculine given name. An archaic variant of the name, prevalent up to the mid-17th century, is Estienne. Étienne, Etienne, Ettiene or Ettienne may refer to: People Artists and entertainers * ...
and Nadine Roda-Gil on the historical subject of the early French Revolution. ''Ça Ira'' was released 26 September 2005, as a double CD album featuring baritone
Bryn Terfel Bryn Terfel Jones (; born 9 November 1965), is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially primarily associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly '' Figaro'', '' Leporello'' and ''Don Giovanni,'' but he has subsequ ...
, soprano Ying Huang, and tenor Paul Groves. The album received mixed reviews, with critics praising the composition but criticising its plot and simplicity.


History

Waters, known for his work in the English rock band
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...
, was approached by friends Étienne Roda-Gil and his wife Nadine Delahaye in 1987, and asked to set their libretto to music. The initial version was completed and recorded by the end of 1988. On hearing it, an impressed
François Mitterrand François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was a French politician and statesman who served as President of France from 1981 to 1995, the longest holder of that position in the history of France. As a former First ...
urged the
Paris Opera The Paris Opera ( ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be kn ...
to stage it for the bicentennial of the revolution the following July. The opera directors, however, were resistant. "It foundered on French
chauvinism Chauvinism ( ) is the unreasonable belief in the superiority or dominance of one's own group or people, who are seen as strong and virtuous, while others are considered weak, unworthy, or inferior. The ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'' describes it ...
," Waters suggested. "The idea of an English bass player from a pop group creating something they might use in their celebrations stuck in the Gallic craw." Starting in 1989, Waters rewrote the libretto in English.


Critical reaction

''Ça Ira'' has received mixed reviews. The biggest criticisms were that the opera is too narrative, which makes staging very difficult – and, as a result, disrupts the flow of the piece. Others have complained that the score is too conventional and that Waters should have taken more risks with it.


Performances

The first time any part of ''Ça Ira'' was heard in public was on 16 October 2002 when the Overture was performed live at the
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...
in London by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, during a benefit gala for the
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. The next public airing (not a live performance, but a recording played through a sound system) took place in
Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
on 1 May 2004, the night that Malta entered the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
. An approximately 15-minute-long excerpt was heard by 80,000 people present at the waterfront of the Grand Harbour. The music was accompanied by a light show by Gert Hoff. The official premiere took place in Rome on 17 November 2005, in front of a sold-out crowd, and was followed the next evening by another performance. Both shows were praised for the high quality of music, vocal performances, and sound. The choir, orchestra, and soloists were complemented by a projection screen backdrop which displayed images (some photographed by Mark Holthusen) helping to tell the story. A full operatic performance took place on 25 August 2006 in
Poznań Poznań ( ) is a city on the Warta, River Warta in west Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business center and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John's ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
, and was televised live on Poland's TVP. The project involved the same number of musicians from the concert performances in addition to more than 200 dancers from the Great Theatre in Poznań. There were also period elements of stage design (such as horses, carriages and war scenes with soldiers and stunt performers) and full costumes. Over 500 artists were involved, and the production reportedly cost in excess of €2 million. Performances were held in
Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
on 16 December, and at the Poznań Opera House on 30 and 31 December 2006. In April 2008, the opera was performed, with the libretto in English, as part of the in Manaus, Brazil by the Amazonas Philharmonic Orchestra and choir.


Dates


Recordings

The 2005 release was available in three formats: * A three-disc set with regular CD and Super Audio (SACD) stereo and
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5.1
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versions. Disc 3 was a DVD with a 55-minute documentary by Adrian Maben, showing Waters at work on the opera. This also included a 60-page book with libretto and credits, and illustrations by Nadine Roda-Gil. * A two-disc set with regular audio CDs, including libretto and illustrations in CD-ROM format. * A two-disc set in the original French. "I have no idea how many people it will appeal to," Waters remarked. "There's no way it's going to appeal to people in the ameway s'' Dark Side of the Moon''. It's a different animal. I'd like to say I don't care, but obviously I do." In the event, the album spent 14 weeks on ''
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s Classical Chart in the United States and peaked at number 5. Select "Classical Albums" in the dropdown field.


Track listing: Disc one

#The Gathering Storm – 1:38 #Overture – 4:06


Act 1

#
  • Scene 1: A Garden in Vienna 1765 – 0:53
  • #"Madame Antoine, Madame Antoine" – 2:53 #Scene 2: Kings Sticks and Birds – 2:41 #"Honest Bird, Simple Bird" – 2:10 #"I Want to Be King" – 2:37 #"Let Us Break All the Shields" – 1:45 #Scene 3: The Grievances of the People – 4:40 #Scene 4: France in Disarray – 2:34 #"To Laugh is to Know How to Live" – 1:44 #"Slavers, Landlords, Bigots at Your Door" – 3:36 #Scene 5: The Fall of the Bastille – 1:34 #"To Freeze in the Dead of Night" – 2:19 #"So to the Streets in the Pouring Rain" – 4:17


    Act 2

    #
  • Scene 1: Dances and Marches – 2:11
  • #"Now Hear Ye!" – 2:18 #"Flushed With Wine" – 4:31 #Scene 2: The Letter – 1:39 #"My Dear Cousin Bourbon of Spain" – 2:48 #"The Ship of State is All at Sea" – 1:46 #Scene 3: Silver Sugar and Indigo – 0:55 #"To The Windward Isles" – 4:50 #Scene 4: The Papal Edict – 1:17 #"In Paris There's a Rumble Under the Ground" – 6:19


    Track listing: Disc two


    Act 3

    #Scene 1: The Fugitive King – 2:21 #"But the Marquis of Boulli Has a Trump Card Up His Sleeve" – 4:27 #"To Take Your Hat Off" – 2:40 #"The Echoes Never Fade from That Fusillade" – 3:15 #Scene 2: The Commune de Paris – 2:43 #"Vive la Commune de Paris" – 3:16 #"The National Assembly is Confused" – 2:41 #Scene 3: The Execution of Louis Capet – 1:39 #"Adieu Louis for You It's Over" – 3:45 #Scene 4: Marie Antoinette – The Last Night on Earth – 1:39 #"Adieu My Good and Tender Sister" – 5:09 #Scene 5: Liberty – 2:51 #"And in the Bushes Where They Survive" – 6:52


    Charts and certifications


    Charts


    Certifications


    References

    * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ca Ira 2005 albums 2005 operas Roger Waters albums Albums produced by Roger Waters Operas 2000s concept albums Albums produced by Rick Wentworth