Dark side of the French Revolution

The premiere of Ca Ira (There is Hope), Roger Waters' operatic history of the French Revolution, is to be staged at Poznań's International Trade Fair on July 6 and 7. The performance will take place as part of the 50th anniversary commemorations of the brutal suppression of a revolt against the communist authorities that took place in the city in 1956. A further performance is scheduled for November in Poznań's Grand Theater. "I'm very moved that I can play music here ... after your struggle for freedom," Waters said at a press conference in Warsaw last week.

Music from the opera was first played to an audience in Rome last year and met with some very critical reviews. However, a CD of the opera has sold well, topping the Billboard classical chart on its release last September.

The opera already exists in French and English versions, but it will be translated into Polish for the Poznań performances. Janusz Józefowicz, famous for his work at Warsaw's Studio Buffo, will direct and choreograph the opera. The show will involve a cast of 400 and include performances from the London Community Gospel Choir and Poznań's Boys' Choir.

Roger Waters is most famous for his work with rock band Pink Floyd, which in the 1970s recorded the classic albums Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall.