ROGER WATERS GETS BACK TO BUSINESS AS USUAL

And there's no reason, of course, why Roger Waters shouldn't write an opera if he wants to - to be honest, judging by the way his writing has been going over the last couple of decades, it was only a matter of time. Ca Ira (There Is Hope) gets its debut in September in English and French.

But what we like is this:

"It's actually very melodic and it's unashamedly emotional. So, if the intellectuals of the modern opera world are catty about it, so be it. I fully expect some resistance. There will be a lot of, `Who does he think he is?'"

See? If you don't like it as opera, it'll be not because Waters' music isn't to your taste, it's because you're an intellectual. Does this mean he's written to appeal to the unthinking?

Not that Waters isn't above a bit of intellectualising himself, actually:

"It's not just a piece about the French Revolution, it's about revolution in a much broader sense, and it's about the capacity that human beings have for personal change," Waters said. "The piece is an exultation and an encouragement to those of us who believe the human race can discover its humanity and its capacity for empathy to the point where it may be possible for us at some point to guarantee the basic human rights of the individual (around the world)."

Blimey. But we'd imagine there's a subplot or two about kissing.

music opera roger waters