Customer Reviews

Mystere Live

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am a huge fan of Cirque du Soleil, and have almost all of the music. I believe that when Rene Duprere retired and Benoit Jutras stepped in, he did them a huge favor. Monsieur Jutras has altered the original music slightly, but just enough to actually give it some life. Pardon me, but compared to this, the original score on the studio CD is dead.

"Kunya Sobe," though about a minute and a half shorter, is definitely much livelier and better to listen to. "Kunya Sobe" is the song Jutras altered the most. Other than that, he barely touched "Egypte," so it still has a mysterious essence to it. "En Ville" and "Kalimando" were also revived, but both have hardly been changed. "Rondo" is better than the original also. I also like the extra songs that were put in later that were done only by Jutras.

Do not feel that I am putting Rene Dupere down. I loved his work on "Alegria" and "Saltimbanco." I just like the "kick" that Benoit Jutras puts into his music. Trust me, if you want to get a Mystere soundtrack, GET THIS ONE. Do not get the original, unless you want to compare the two, which is what I did.

If you like this Mystere, get the soundtracks to "O" and "Quidam" as well. These two were done only by Benoit Jutras. You'll love them.

For starters- Mystere NEVER toured. It was always at Treasure Island, and always will be- each set for Cirque is quite unique, and the ones in permanent theatres have *always* had the whole place built around the show.

Second, Rene Dupere and Benoit Jutras worked together on Mystere Live- the stuff that Dupere did for the original Mystere CD (Egypte, Rondo, Ulysse, Kalimando, Kunya Sobe, En Ville) is still there, and still arranged by Dupere. Jutras's work (Ouverture, Misha, Double Face, Dome, Frisco, Gambade, High Bar, Finale) is mixed in with Dupere's- sometimes both would do different songs mixed with each other on the same track. I don't know how ANYONE could possibly not realize this, especially considering that the CD's liner notes say who wrote what right next to each song. As the saying goes, people who think they know everything are annoying to those of us who do.

There, I'm done ranting. This is a REALLY good Cirque CD- I've given recommendations of which ones to get first (start with Saltimbanco PLEASE) and this one is fairly advanced Cirque to save for later in your collection. Because there are two composers working on this one, it's a good idea to get CDs that are exclusively one or the other- for Dupere's, get the original Mystere; for Jutras, start with Quidam. This way, you can get a better idea of which composer wrote which song, and can also hear what Jutras learned from Dupere- after all, Jutras started out in Cirque playing Dupere's music as a saxophonist for Cirque Reinvente.

My favorite tracks on this CD are 3 (Egypte), 10 (Gambade), 11 (High Bar), and 13 (Finale). Oh- one nice thing about this CD is that it's easy to set the right volume. Skip to track 12 (Taiko); there is a decrescendo about 2/3rds of the way through. You can't possibly miss it. When the decrescendo hits its softest point, adjust the volume up until you can BARELY hear the drumming. The rest of the CD will be at the ideal volume- which means the Finale is near deafening like it should be, with those oh-so-cool bass hits shaking the windows if you have a subwoofer.

I'm usually wary of live recordings. There's very little that will put me off faster than microphone hiss and audience background noise. Mystere Live gets around this by (a) recording directly from the orchestra instead of the house and (b) keeping the audience too stunned by the show to make a sound during the acts.
After seeing the show in Las Vegas, I immediately grabbed the older studio recording, although the music wasn't the same and there were missing tracks. The CD occupied my shelf for a few weeks, and then I borrowed a friend's copy of the Live recording. I kicked myself, and immediately ordered it. The reworked score combines the best of old and new school composers. The reorchestrated Kunya Sobe is almost worth the price of the CD alone. And this is one CD that the audience noise actually adds to. The joyous nature of the applause between acts adds a cheerful tone to the whole work, and gives me a grin as I remember being part of the same experience.
In a nutshell, pick up this copy over the studio set.

Cirque Du Soleil's Mystere is a visual and musical journey through
life's duality, its ceaseless wonders and
its corrupting vices. It is a sequence of acts which heavily
incorporates live music to define mood and add continuity.
The use of classical instruments, french vocalist, and influences from
various cultures add breathe and clarity to the
amazing physical performances.

"Egypte" begins with the chiming of bells that portends the coming
danger. Intermittent drumming gives way to a wordless
melody that is both hypnotic and eerie. The drums again become the
central sound, quickly partnering with a woodwind
instrument to create an Egyptian-like quality in the music. The singer
begins voicing french words before reverting back
to the original melody. The song seems to be a warning of the
uncertainty of life, the many dangerous roads fate
presents for our choosing. I feel the songs ominous tone is not meant
to frighten the audience, but rather allows us
to better understand life's dueling themes of love and hate. The even
paced and dramatic "Ulysse" is dominated by the
violin and the classically trained vocalist Nathalie Gauvin. The slow
tempo violin style compliments the even delivery
of the vocalist. Gauvins rendition echoes the themes of classicism,
strong and in complete balance with the
instrumental accompaniments.

Rarely does a song demonstrate the beauty of art through music as well
as "Kalimando." The song
begins with a slow tempo guitar rendition that segues into a lilting
female voice. The vocalist is able to
reflect a sadness for futures' past and a hope for
beginnings, all in the same breathe. It is this duplicity that invites
the audience to share in a world with invisible borders, a place where
the music adheres only to its own call.
The up tempo "Kunya Sobe" serves to elevate the mood of the audience.
An ensemble of drums, flute pipes, and an

Asian influenced melody parallel the high-energy acrobatic acts. In
this act particularly, the music binds the
audience and acrobats. It is the commonality between a world that
defies convention and a world restrained
by its self-imposed limits.

"Taiko" introduces itself with a haunting violin solo which is soon
joined by frantic
tribal-like drumming. The contrast in styles of the violin and drums is
a statement about the cruelties of a life
governed by someone else's pace. It is a reminder to live independent
of negative influences, to make mutually
exclusive unrealized potential and the realization of promise.

I would recommend the music because it accompanies the listener into a
world where truth is beyond reason, where
the questions are never subservient to the answers, and where the
tapestry of life is revealed in the
struggle between action and inaction.

This soundtrack is truly wonderful! The original Mystere soundtrack was good, but this one puts it to shame. The best songs on the cd, in my opinion, are Ouverture/Ramsani, Ulysse, High Bar, Taiko, and Finale. The haunting vocals on Ulysse and Finale are so chilling, they make you want to cry!

Featuring songs to the main acts in the new version of the show which began in 1996 and continues today, the recording provokes the sixth sense and opens the third eye! Haunting, romantic and energetic music from a forgotten dream that one may remember!

I am getting tired of reading about how poeple think the original Mystere CD is better than the live one. If you have not seen the show you have no right to talk. The CD has almost twice the songs and it is like you are listening to the show right there. A little hint. The CD is not really live. I have seen the show 4 times in the past 6 months and if the CD were really live it would be over an hour and a half long. And the CD sounds nothing like the REAL show. But the cd is better than any other Cirque du Soleil albums. Go see the damn show and see what I mean.

Words alone cannot fully express this CD. To listen to Mystere is to embark on a journey throughout myth. It is said the disk is based on Greek themes, and the hint of various melodies from around the globe can definitely be heard throughout. This is the Cirque du Soleil way, is it not? The perfect blend of music from all cultures: we have the Japanese Taiko Drums in "Taiko", Rock and Roll/Sax solos within "En Ville/Frisco" and beautiful, ominously powerful melodies during "High Bar". Indeed, this CD is sure to please any fan of Cirque du Soleil - old or new - as it has a bit of every culture in it without being so 'out there' as to be annoying.

The vocals are outstanding and the musicians are absolutely amazing. To think that they do this twice a night, five times a week with this much quality is mind-numbing. The level of skill and deftness with which the overall CD is performed is enough to make any aspiring musician practice harder.

In all, this is a great CD to listen to after a long day to relax and energize yourself. The beat is steady, the words enchanting and journey timeless.

...Easily one of the best CD's Cirque du Soleil has produced...

Mystere was my first live Cirque show, and from first to last I still consider it the best theater I've ever seen in my life. I'm certain that different parts speak differently to different people. For me it was Kalimondo. I will never forget the almost supernatural beauty of human birds soaring through the air in perfect synchronicity to the deceptively simple, equally soaring music. Of all the wonderful moments of that show, and there are so many, the entire audience held its breath during this one, riveted to what was going on above the stage. It was glorious.

I purchased both the studio and live versions. While the studio version is nicely evocative, it's this one, the live recording, that lets me close my eyes and relive those magic moments.

The rest of this CD is great, but it's Kalimondo I purchased it for.

A must have for Cirque music collectors. The original amphitheatre Cirque du Soleil show. This is a cutout. Mystere is scheduled to close in 2009.