Jean Frechette - Horn
Bill Kipper - Electric Guitar
Mark Langis - Electric Guitar
Andre Proulx - Electric Violin
Robert Stanley - Electric Guitar
Patrick Vetter - Horn
Roger Walls - Horn
Luis Perez - Percussion, Vocals, Pan Flute/Pan Pipes, Sound Illustration
Dominique Messier - Drums
Philippe Dunnigan - Violin
Yegor Dyachkov - Cello
Nathalie Gauvin - Vocals
Bill Kinal - Accordion, Mixing Assistant
André Leroux - Horn
Luc Gilbert - Arranger, Programming, Engineer
Luc Pellerin - Assistant Engineer, Mixing Assistant
Billy Szawlowski - Engineer, Mixing
Daniel Aumais - Executive Producer
Rene Dupere - Arranger, Programming, Assistant Producer
Rob Heaney - Engineer
Michael Edward Delaney - Engineer
Karl Sutton - Engineer
Juraj Durovic - Engineer
Thèrése Mondor - Design
Al Seib - Photography
Michel-Thomas Poulin - Illustrations
1994 CD RCA Victor 62686
1994 CS RCA Victor 62686
2005 CD Cirque du Soleil 20009
The world-renowned creative team behind Cirque du Soleil, headed up by
composers Rene Dupere and Benoit Jutras, and creative director Guy
Laliberté, liken their first permanent Las Vegas show to a
desert flower, and its soundtrack is a gorgeous, colorful, unlikely
creation indeed. Like preceding albums Saltimbanco and Alegria, Mystere
borrows sounds from various corners of the globe, but often it seems to
strike out for musical parts unknown, forging a style and sound all its
own. Soaring, sweet, intertwining vocals by Elise Gouin and Nathalie
Gauvin lend an ethereal air to the sometimes melancholy, sometimes
lilting, sometimes driving melodies. Both women sound classically
trained, but they do just enough whispering, chanting, and belting to
remind listeners that this is no ordinary opera or musical theater
piece. The most enjoyable pieces on this album are the slow, dramatic
ones such as "Egypte" and "Ulysse." The faster pieces lose something
through the studio recording; the ethnic backing vocals and electric
guitars tend to sound a little canned at times. Also, tracks such as
"Rondo" and "Kunya Sobe" are intended to back high-energy acrobatic
acts, and when you can't see the acrobats, it's hard to have a real
appreciation for the music. However, overall this album is yet another
triumph for Cirque du Soleil. [This expanded edition of the release
includes bonus material.]
Lena Katz, All Music Guide
The first time I listened to Cirques du Soleil's MYSTERE it literally
swept me off my feet. I was completely blown away by the opening note
and was therefore swept into a place beyond all human reason until the
last note settled and left me sitting in absolute awe by the awakened
beauty that had just flourished like in a distant daydream. I say all
of this because the beauty that emanates from this album is profoundly
surreal and yet all too thrilling to be true. From the haunting cello
in "Rumeurs" to the flute pipes in "Kunya Sobe" to the electric guitar
playing in "Birimbau", the sheer vibe of every single note of every
single song will leave you gasping for more and more and more! That's
why I can't wait to get my hands on MYSTERE: Live In Las Vegas.
Obviously Cirques du Soleil are an act to not just listen to on a CD
but to actually see in person. I want to see Cirques du Soleil almost
as badly as I want to see my favorite singer Sarah Brightman, which is
saying a lot given the fact that I've only been a fan of their music
for little over a month. And though I find it hard to pick a favorite
song, I deliberated for a very long time and came to realize that the
purity of "Kalimando" was my favorite song with what sounds like a
chorus of children and adults singing in unison a calming yet emotional
melody. This album also has its dark side, however, with some somber
tunes like "Ulysse" where soprano vocal singer Nathalie Gauvin mourns a
disturbing refrain with some eerie percussion as backup. The song soon
connects with the light though and breaks through to ecstatic yet
joyous guitar playing