Search - Cirque du Soleil, Benoit Jutras, J. Corcoran :: Quidam

Like French cuisine, good but there just ain't enough

elyjar | Perth, Australia | 02/09/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Sountrack to Everyman

elyjar | 06/10/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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"

"Cirque du Soleil" is worthy of it's name.

elyjar | 06/22/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."