That will go

That Will go is an opera in three acts of Roger Waters on a booklet in French language of Etienne Roda-Gil and his wife Nadine. The English transcription was carried out by Roger Waters and contains many additional texts. Work evokes the beginnings of the French revolution. The first representation takes place with Malta, on May 1st 2004.

Genesis of the opera

In 1987, Etienne Roda-Gil approach the member of the Pink Floyd to propose a booklet to him. The initial version is supplemented and recorded at the end of 1988. After having heard it, François Mitterrand is very impressed and proposes with the opera of Paris to assemble the spectacle within the framework of the bicentenary. The director of the time, Pierre Bergé, is very reticent because " Toilets is English and plays in a pop" group; .

The title is that of one of the revolutionary songs most known: Ah! that will go .

Characters

honest Bird
the young priest swearer, revolutionist
Mr Loyal
the agitator
Louis Capet - King de France
Marie-Marianne - the voice of freedom, wisdom and the Republic
Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France
the Military officer
the revolutionary slave
Chorus children

Synopsis

Context and stage directions

Ca will go relates to the events which proceeded during the period going from 1789 to 1793 and which lead to the establishment of the Republic. The history proceeds on the scene of a circus where or the events imitated are parodied which are reported to them by the artists of the circus.

Act 1

Scene 1: A garden of Vienna: 1765

Marie-Antoinette, in a garden of Vienna, dreams waked up its future life of Queen of France. The honest bird, which listens to it, recalls him that its life of privileges and luxury is not possible that by the suffering and the deprivation of ordinary people. Insensitive, Marie-Antoinette congédie the honest bird.

Scene 2: Kings

Honest bird is then collected by Marie-Marianne, with which it can sing freely. Through maturity, honest Oiseau becomes revolutionary priest. With Marie-Marianne, it encourages the people to express his deeper aspirations. The first formulations are accesses incoherent, some aspiring to becoming what they would like to see disappearing. But little by little the aspirations become increasingly coherent, under the encouragements of the agitator. The people make wish thus set up the République.

Scene 3: Complaints of the people

The priest writes the complaints of the people. The king and the queen observe the scene of the royal cabin, scorning, while tasting delicate and refined mets. Mr Loyal then recalls the failures of the King to his country and that the country is ruined.

Scene 4: State of France

Mr Loyal tells the rise on Paris of 100.000 famished citizens, of which 300 were cut down on the barricades. Marie-Marianne recalls whereas only the reason can prevent the man from sinking in the madness and cruelty and it only will be able to lead to the universal acceptance of the human rights. Mr Loyal wonders whether there exists then in France of the men and women having this reason.

Scene 5: The storming of the Bastille

Mr Loyal, the revolutionary priest and the Chorus tell the catch of the Bastille. Mr Loyal wonders which capacity go then mettrent in place the revolutionists. The agitator reassures it: The new order set up will be based on justice and equity, the human rights.

Act 2

Scene 1: Banquet of October

The Queen, with the Castle of Versailles, is bored. She organizes a sumptuous ball where the members of the army are invited who remained faithful to the king. The revolution is however there: famished people parties from Paris arrive at Versailles. The king, the queen and the dolphin, captured, are led to the Tuileries by crowd.

Scene 2: The letter

The king, prisoner with tileries, writing with his/her cousin, Bourbon of Spain, describing the situation to him so that it comes to him to assistance.

Scene 3: Slavery

In the French colonies, in particular with Santo Domingo, the revolution also occurs: growers and landowners try to charm the capacity with the royal governors. In France, with the National Assembly, one calls some with the emancipation of the slaves.

Scene 4: Quod Aliquantum

The Pape considers the text of the human rights, voted by the National Assembly in August 1789 like a sin and condemns it. The priest, the agitator and some others make wish then continue to fight so that the human rights are applied.

Act 3

Scene 1: The escape of the king

Always captive with tileries, the Queen being made pass for the Baroness Korrf and the King for her servant, try to flee in Alsace-Lorraine, to join the Marquis de Bouillé, faithful royalist. But somebody recognizes them and gives alarm. They are stopped with Varennes and are brought back to Paris. The National Assembly, which wishes to found a Constitutional monarchy, does not condemn the king but removes its last capacities to him. People, revolted, walk towards the Champ de Mars to sign a republican petition. The National guard opens fire and kills fifty citizens without weapons. In spite of that, the reinvested National Assembly the king and monarchy by the Constitution of 1789.

Scene 2: The Commune of Paris

Revolutionary enthusiasm is however always present in the popular insurrectionary movement of the Commune of Paris. The national guard, including the quota of Marseilles support the Commune of Paris and come to defend the city against a possible Austrian attack. The commune condemns the Parliament. The palate of Tileries is taken, it is the end of monarchy.

Scene 3: Poor Capet

The war against Austria and Prussia bursts in spring 1792 and provides a reason to show the king of treachery. He is then decapitated.

Scene 4: Marie-Antoinette - the last night on Earth

The Queen then is imprisoned and separated from her son. Writing its last letter which she addresses to her sister-in-law, she expresses the pain which she had to be separate of her son. The priest is then ready of it. She does not recognize, at that beginning which was then with her in the garden of Vienna. The priest tries to point out this events to him. Having finally recognized, the Queen falls into her arms. The clowns of the circus separate them and takes along Marie-Antoinette.

Scene 5: Freedom

The Queen was carried out. The spectators of the scene think of contradiction to use the Guillotine like means of obtaining freedom. Mr Loyal and Marie-Marianne explain whereas each one is entitled to a safety and a peace relative like to a decent life. But nobody must thrive with the detriment of the others. “It is the promise of the Republic. Ca will go”.

Recordings

The recording left the September 26th 2005 in two versions: one sung in French, the other in English. He has as principal interpreters:

Jean-Luc Chaignaud, Ying Huang, and Paul Groves for the French version.
Bryn Terfel, Ying Huang, and Paul Groves for the english language version.

References external

Interview of Roger Toilets in the Le Monde newspaper of October 10th, 2005

article of John Sunier

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