Customer Reviews

Quidam

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this CD thinking most of my favourite songs from the show would be included. This was defintely not the case. What is wrong with Cirque? Can't they understand there is much more room on a CD than what was included? Where were the songs to the Diabolo Act, Spanish Webs, Hand Balancing and the final Banquine Act? To me, the theme to the Banquie Act was one of the best songs in the show. Instead, they divided the theme of the Skipping Rope act in to two seperate songs of just under 2 minutes each(Zydeko,Innocence)! To be quite honest, I felt I had been ripped off big time!

However, there are the positive merits of whatever is left of the music after it's horrendous editing. The remaining songs are just remarkable especially "Seisouso", "Quidam", "Let me fall" and "Steel Dreams". Benoit Jutras has really done an excellent job in composing the music to suit the different acts.

It is so evident from this CD why "Quidam" has been such a huge success. With a soundtrack like this, I will be glad to just rock up for the music alone.

Four Stars for a great effort. Hopefully the CD "Quidam Live" won't be too far away.

Cirque du Soleil reinvented and revolutionized the circusarts. What began in 1984 as a small group of travelling performerscarting their modest circus paraphernalia from town to town is now acclaimed by an audience of over 18 million worldwide, with numerous prizes and distinctions to its credit. It has been pleasing the public with a novel show concept that is as original as it is non-traditional: an astonishing, theatrical blend of circus arts and street performance, wrapped up in spectacular costumes and fairyland sets and staged to spellbinding music and magical lighting.

Composed, arranged and conducted by Benoît Jutras with lyrics by Jim Corcoran (6, 12), Quidam is a true story, one known to all of us: the tale of human solitude in a world of anonymous faces, on the brink of the third millennium. Juggling the coldness of the faceless masses with the fragile soul of the human individual, Jutras is able to attain a perfect musical balance in styles from ambient to symphonic rock to beaty cyberfunk to gypsy-zydeco. These works, at times stripped down to their simplest instrumental expression and at others built up into full sonorous splendor, reconcile the paradoxes of contemporary society. The impact of the vocals is particularly grand, since Jutras has selected voices that perfectly complement each other: that of a little girl (his daughter, Audrey Brisson-Jutras), the adult voice of Mathieu Lavoie and, finally, the emotional grandeur of a choir. For magical music that touches the soul, this is possibly Benoit Jutras finest moment.

~ Mixmaster Flow

If you have never been fortunate enough to see one of the many Cirque du Soleil (Circus of the Sun) shows over the years, you have my full pity. Try to remedy that, and see the sun that IS Cirque. But on their music... it is as amazing as their shows. After seeing Quidam, and nearly crying during the finale, I had to get this CD. It is so emotional. The music is unique and engaging, and the songs are so beautiful. I highly recommend it.

I bought the CD prior to the release of the live 'Quidam' video and liked it quite well (not as much as 'O' however). Then when I received the 'Quidam' video, I listened to the music without the video and was totally blown away by the songs that are live, but not included on the CD. Also, 'Let Me Fall' and the title track are much better live (as stated in other reviews - non-English) than on the CD. My biggest disappointment with the CD is that the music that accompanies the banquine act is not included. This song is possibly my favorite piece by Benoit Jutras and I wish I could get a studio version of it. At least Audrey's voice is as angelic in the studio as it is live.

My first exposure to Cirque du Soleil was with Alegria. I now have 3 of their cds, Quidam being the latest one and I think it is the best. The music is catchy, easy to sing and dance to, and just great to listen to. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes Cirque du Soliel.

Quidam was my 1st exposure to Cirque Du Soleil and I smile whenever I think of it 2-years later. The mystique can be visualized through the music even if the listener has never been privileged to witness firsthand. The visual images are a unique bonus! My first CD disappeared and I'm thrilled to be able to replace it.

I know that this disc does not include some songs from the live performance, but I also know that it does not say that it is a soundtrack, or a live recording. Some people are to hard on Cirque du Soleil, trying to make it "Quidam Live" when it is just labeled "Quidam - Cirque du Soleil" to give you a taste of the wonderful flavor of Quidam. I myself have never seen the show, but this music takes you there! My favorite songs have to be (of course all of them - but) Marelle, Zydeko, Let Me Fall, Carrousel, Réveil, and Quidam. This CD has so many different types of music, all beautifully blended to create the magic that is Quidam. If you like Let Me Fall (performed by Josh Groban) you will like this disc, and vis versa, if you like Let Me Fall on this disc, you will like Josh Groban's self-titled debut album.

Although I think you will like this CD very much, there are two details you will dislike a little. One is that this CD is not the full Quidam soundtrack (there are several songs not included), and the second is that the pictures of the multimedia part are not as good as they could have been. Overall, this CD is a wonderful mixture of instrumental music, a powerful choir, emotional songs and the voice of a lovely 14 year old girl (who is the hart of the CD). If you buy it, you will not repent.

"Quidam" is a hard album to classify. It's not as stylish and flamboyant as "Saltimbanco," not as grand and echoing as "Mystere," not as atmospheric as "Varekai." What it is is...well...wierd. The music hops merrily from genre to genre, blindsiding the listener with unexpected twists and turns. Between them, the twelve tracks incorporate orchestral strings, vocal chants, bayou accordions, old-fashioned calliopes, middle eastern pipes, and steel drums -- and more. The album is a perfect echo of the show itself, which definitely represents the creative peak of Cirque du Soleil.

"Quidam" has only two flaws that I can see. One: at forty-six minutes, it's the shortest of all the Cirque albums. Two: a lot of music from the show is missing, and a lot of the tracks in the second half are completely unfamiliar. The trick is to forget all this and just enjoy what there is to enjoy. My favorite tracks include "Incantation" (exotic and fun to dance to), "Zydeko" (short but full of energy), "Steel Dream" (pulse-pounding percussion), and the fantastic closing track, "Quidam," which is wonderfully uplifting. The songs benefit greatly from the gorgeous singing of Audrey Brisson-Jutras and Mathieu Lavoie, and even the background singers sound nice and enthusiastic.

On the whole, I'd say that no Cirque fan should miss "Quidam." Once you get over its length and disconnection from the actual live music, you'll flip.

Having long been a fan of Cirque du Soleil, I purchased this cd with high expectations. Sadly, I was dissappointed. I bought this cd after seeing the live show. However, many of my favorite acts(Hand Balancing, Spanish Web, and Banquine)aren't even on the cd. The cd is very short(about 46 min) and the songs that are on the cd are edited strangely. The tune from the German Wheel vaguely resembles the song I heard during the live performance. The addition of an acoustic guitar into several songs changes the whole tone af several pieces(Incantation-German Wheel and Zydeko-Skipping Ropes). Over all, I feel like the cd I bought is for a different show. If you collect Cirque du Soleil music, buy it to fill your collection, otherwise you might want to let this one pass by. I appreciate the effort by Cirque, to make a cd, but too many little shortcomings made this disc a disappointing buy.