Claude Arsanault - Bass
Jean Marie Benoit - Banjo, Classical Guitar
Christopher Best - Cello
Pierre Hebert - Drums
Daniel Hubert - Double Bass
Carl Marsh - Arranger, Conductor, Keyboards, Fairlight, Orchestration
Lorraine Desmarais - Viola
Marie-Andrée Benny - Flute
Vincent Bernard - Cello
Luc Boivin - Washboard
Philippe Dunningan - Violin
Annie Gadbois - Cello
Pascale Giguère - Violin
Benoit Jutras - Arranger, Programming, Orchestration
Francine Lupien - Viola
Véronique Potvin - Viola
Christian Prévost - Violin
Jean Pierre Zanella - Soprano Saxophone
Carol Ryan - Guitar
Pierre Côté - Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Mandolin
Andy Czerny - Accordion
Composed by Circque collaborator Benoit Jutras, Quidam draws
inspiration from both classical music and contemporary sounds. The
enhanced disc also includes pictures, sound samples and special effects.
Jason Ankeny, All-Music Guide
Cirque Du Soleil decided to try something completely new on this album.
The experiment worked, but the resulting piece of music is very
different from any other album in the renowned company's discography.
Instead of hiring one or two lead female singers, the production team
went with a male baritone (Richard Price, Craig Jennings) and a child
soprano (Amelie Landry). Some songs are duets, some are solo, and some
are performed with the backing vocals of an entire choir. On certain
tracks, most notably "Atmadja," the piping, sweet voice of the young
female soloist is surreal and spooky in classic Cirque fashion.
However, overall the vocals do not have the exotic, wild tone of
Mystere or Alegria. A pre-pubescent singer could never claim the
versatility and range of a Francine Poitras type, and, as a result,
composer Benoit Jutras seems to have settled upon a more sweet,
ethereal tone for the lead vocals, leaving any dramatic effects up to
the male soloist or the backing choir. Interestingly, Jutras also
brings some pop sensibilities into play at rather unpredictable times:
"Let Me Fall" is closer to a pop ballad than anything Cirque has ever
released. When the instruments dominate, there is a markedly more
dramatic tone to the music -- but eventually they hush and drop to the
background, leaving the air uncluttered but for one angelic voice.
[This release includes enhanced content.]