How to find the right words to
write a review of NOSTRADAMUS when it leaves you speechless? (That is why it
took me so long to review it. Famous vocalists play the different characters of the story:
Ladies
first
The choir the People and the Inquisition as the institution
Musicians:
IAN HAUGHLAND Drums
MIC MICHAELI Keys
Track 1 the Overture is a gently but racy composed string based melody. The brass instruments and flute arrangement rise tension. With the break in of e-guitars it develops to a mid-tempo rock theme.
Desecration starts bombastically with drums and tubular bells and turns heavy and guitar-loaded. It is an outlook into future. NOSTRADAMUS has been interred standing upright in the Church of the Cordeliers of Salon. However, his story does not end there; he has been disinterred twice, once on purpose and once maliciously. In 1700, his body has been moved by the city to a more prominent sepulchre. When a necklace has been found on his skeleton bearing the date '1700', his body has been hurriedly reinterred. During the French Revolution, in 1791, some drunken soldiers have broken into NOSTRADAMUS’ tomb. The mayor quickly has placated the mob by describing how the prophet had predicted the revolution, and they have replaced the bones in the crypt. However, NOSTRADAMUS had the last laugh. In Century 9, Quatrain 7, he had written:
“The man who opens the tomb when it is found Reputedly, the soldiers who desecrated his tomb for the final time were ambushed on their way back to base and killed to the last man. A severe argument between NOSTRADAMUS, the Ghost and the People flames up because of the predictions. The People maintains doubting and disbelieving and ignores the prophet’s warnings. Joe’s voice sounds rough and desperate. The Introduction is fast track with a KANSAS-like organ sound where the story teller and the people present NOSTRADAMUS in context of the historical background. He will tell the truth to the people who has been fooled and confused by the church with a false image of the universe. NOSTRADAMUS rather believes in the laws of the nature his grandfather has taught him than in threats, promises and false magic. His new medical knowledge he has gained when studying in Avignon is revolutionary so it is easier for the church to declare the prophet a fool. After a classical education he studied medicine, herbalism and astrology. A heavy guitar solo symbolizes the threatening Inquisition. So his parents send NOSTRADAMUS to Montpellier to continue his medical studies he finished with after four years and received the doctor title in spite of the fact that his methods and theories were more than unusual. The short instrumental Home again gently arranged with flutes and strings describes the easy and happy period in NOSTRADAMUS’ life. He settles down in Agen where he finds his first love of his life, Henriette D’Encausse. He marries her and founds a little family and leads a carefree life. A love ballad is dedicated to Henriette. The initial gentle string arrangements of the self-titled song underline the deep and gentle relationship. But the future is uncertain as the guitar solo symbolizes in a faster tempo. The violin catches up with the solo. Towards the end it smoothes down again to show that his wife gives him harmony and comfort. As foreseen the peace does not last long because King Henry is forced by the Inquisitor to take action against NOSTRADAMUS. The up-tempo title Caught up in a rush indicates with heavy organ and guitar arrangements the sudden change of the King’s attitude towards NOSTRADAMUS. Henry even explains that NOSTRDAMUS is lying. A fast guitar solo and rising organ accompaniment show his internal dispute. The sinister voices of the Choir repeat permanently “I’m caught up in a rush” and warn the King to wake up from his daydream, and to take the prophet’s visions serious. But the King is too busy… The Eagle starts with the characteristic NOSTRADAMUS theme, and a speedy chorus joins in. With threatening voices they list up the prophet’s terrifying predictions. The Ghost specifies this as Napoleon who gained fame by his cruel battles at Waterloo during the French revolution who intents to become as least as powerful as the Italian emperor Julius Cesar. Driving guitars and drums underline the dark future. The interlude with Napoleon’s spoken words is used as a tension rising stylistic element. Doomy and dark voices of the Inquisitor, the People and Story Teller inform of the terrible consequences of the Plague. There will be so many victims that the coast of the Provence will be polluted by dead bodies. NOSTRADAMUS can indisputably be said to have been ahead of his time, at least in terms of medical practice. His treatment of the Black Death involves removal of the infected corpses, fresh air and unpolluted water for the healthy, a herbal preparation rich in vitamin C, and (in contravention of contemporary medical practise) not bleeding his patients. NOSTRADAMUS is successful in lessening the impact of the Black Death in the capital of Provence, Aix. The grateful citizens give him a stipend for life. NOSTRADAMUS succeeds to heal many people with his special medicine but his family looses their lives. No prayers could help them. Now he has even private enemies, and the Inquisitor has a reason to accuse NOSTRADAMUS of heresy. Speedy organ and guitar arrangements underline the coming cruel threat. This threatening mood continues in Inquisition. The People and Inquisitor want NOSTRADAMUS to be sentenced to death because they see a threat in him especially for the King. In a furious dispute between the Inquisitor and NOSTRADAMUS he defends his point of view towards the Inquisitional court. Only Queen Catherine de Medici saves his life right in time because she takes his scientific researches serious. Act II starts with NOSTRADAMUS’ most dangerous prediction at that time, King Henry’s agonizing death during a friendly duel on his daughter Marguerite’s wedding. In the very speedy The King will die the People and Storyteller declare the prophet a madman. I Don’t Believe begins with rapid guitars and organ runs. King Henry defends furiously NOSTRADAMUS’ visions of future against the Inquisition. The calm interlude symbolizes the King’s insecurity. Try to live again is a very gentle ballad with soft strings and guitar arrangements. A moving duet with his second wife Anne Ponsart Gemelle shows that Michel wants to start a new life in Salon after being tired from the fight against the plague and forced to the court. Finally he finds love and peace. War of Religions is the fast contrast to the track before with furious strings arrangements which drive on the heavy discussion between Ghost, People and Inquisition regarding NOSTRADAMUS’ visions. During the Plague the Huguenots gain influence and power, and cause severe problems to the religious system. Experimenting with mind-broadening drugs the seer publishes his first set of 100 quatrains, his multilingual predictions in four line verses in 1555. War of Religions passes on into The Inquisitor’s Rage another fast tune with heavy string and tubular bells arrangements. The Inquisitor and the Inquisition list up severe accusations as they doubt NOSTRADAMUS’ medical knowledge because he could not help his own family. How can the prophet dare to predict the King’s death instead of protecting him? Again the Inquisitor demands NOSTRADAMUS’ death. Chosen man begins calm and gentle. The King’s voice turns desperate, and in the monologue he realizes that he should take NOSTRADAMUS’ warnings serious. On the other hand he cannot stay away from the festivities unless he will not loose his honour. Even in the direct dispute between NOSTRDAMUS and the monarch concerning the seer’s predictions the King keeps to his decisions, and NOSTRADAMUS admits that he has to leave him his own will. After a short fast guitar solo the People repeats NOSTRADAMUS’ words to emphasize his inner conflict. King Henry is the Chosen Man to tighten Britain’s relationship with France. So he cannot stay away. In the second bout of the friendly battle the deadly accident happens when count Montgomery’s lance breaks and its head pierces the King’s eye deeply into the brain where it causes an infected wound. The prophet comes to see Henry in his last minutes before he dies as predicted on July 2nd 1566. When his assistant wished him goodnight on July 1st 1566, NOSTRADAMUS reputedly pronounced, "You will not find me alive at sunrise." Act 3 deals with some of NOSTRADAMUS most striking predictions in the far future. World War II is declared by the second evil antichrist Adolf Hitler. Strings and tubular bells stress the warning character of this heavy and fast piece. The People, the Ghost, e-guitars and orchestra join in and illustrate the seer’s visions of battle planes and victims of bombings of modern warfare. World War III starts similar as the track before intensified by the repetition of the word Mabus (Evil). Tubular bells, strings, Ghost and the People announce the violent deeds of a third antichrist. Heavy organ and guitars speed it all up to a real bombastic sound. Whereas Because of you starts slow with an acoustic guitar. The Justices of Paris and the Inquisitor demand the prophet’s penalty with a rough voice. In contrast NOSTRADAMUS welcomes Queen Catherine with a gentle voice and expresses his gratitude to her. The following dialogue between Queen Catherine and NOSTRADAMUS shows that she is very interested in the seer’s visions and arranges a secret meeting. Nevertheless they are betrayed when a servant gives NOSTRADAMUS a poisoned drink. Just right in time the Queen finds an antidote in the medicine room. The Inquisitor is still threatening but as Queen Catherine has become very powerful she can give NOSTRADAMUS a high professional position in a secure place. Thus it remains with the threats of the INQUISITION. NOSTRADAMUS predicts The End of the World in 3797. It is an Organ and string-orientated mid-tempo track which gains a monumental character with addition of the drums. The Ghost, People and Inquisition picture the hopeless and dark time in sinister images. As in The Eagle spoken words are used as a stylistic element, here to emphasize threatening final destiny of the human kind as we know it. The Plague will return, the devil will take over the reign of the universe and burn everything down in an eternal flame.
The Opus ends with another gentle ballad I’ll Remember
You. In the moving duet with his wife NOSTRADAMUS tells her that he
feels his end coming but he has no regrets of the way he has led his life. |
)
Indeed Nikolo has succeeded in creating a real masterpiece! Whether it is
the fantastic all-star line-up on the double album or the musical creation
of the rock opera itself it is simply stunning.
,
and Sass Jordan plays the role of Catherine, the Queen of France
.
,
Glenn Hughes appears as Henry II, King of France
,
Jørn Lande is the cruel inquisitor
,
Doogie White leads through the play as Story Teller
,
and Joe incorporates the main protagonist Michel de Notre-Dame, also named
NOSTRADAMUS
,
a French doctor and astrologer, who lived from 1503 until 1566.
