Search - Cirque du Soleil :: Cirque du Soleil: Mystére

Attention Mystery Buffs

G. M. Grena | REDONDO BEACH, CA USA | 09/07/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you frequently find yourself wondering about mysteries of the universe & the dark side of human history, get a copy of this recording today! It supersedes the original studio recording by allowing you to hear the actual concert performed by a live band at live Las Vegas show in the same sequence--only the non-musical comedy routines, & redundant choruses have been eliminated. This is the second edition of this CD, originally released in 1996.



"Ouverture/Ramsani" opens with some annoying sounds of a baby crying (it's unfortunate they didn't edit this small section, which is the only low point of the production), but then kicks into a very powerful gear. During the performance, strange beings emerge from both sides of the stage, bathed in blinding light, while drummers pound out a Big Bang as they are lowered from the rafters above the gaping audience. Two celestial ladies sing in an other-worldly language that seems to praise the creation of this magical universe!



"Misha" is the most mystical & original-sounding track on the CD--it will totally entrance you! The first mystifying portion of it accompanies the performance of a man maneuvering within a giant steel cube, spiraling over the stage. During the final minute, the song rocks as he escapes the cube & twirls it miraculously like a baton!



"Egypte" provides a steady, Eastern-sounding march during which poles are set up on the stage for the next performance. Eerie, 2-faced creatures crawl headfirst down the 100-foot wall on either side of the stage like lizards from another galaxy!



"Rondo/Double Face" is a rocker with 2 crystal-crisp guitar solos that sound like Martin Barre of Jethro Tull at his finest! The Double-Faces perform amazing acrobatics leaping from pole to pole, grabbing the poles with only their legs!



"Ulysse" slows the pace down to a spooky level as 2 men manipulate each other into a series of unbelievable poses that defy gravity! The celestial ladies seem to cry, "Tristay mor!" Maybe this could translate: "Don't let go!"



"Dome" is a brief transitional piece; the previous act departs from the stage dome that lowers into a mist, & sets the mood for the following jungle sequence.



"Kalimando" & "Kunya Sobe" accompany a breathtaking bungee performance over the audience; the former is an uplifting ballad of epic proportion, while the latter provides a steady, groovy dance beat that'll make you wanna get up & get down! It's Tarzan on another planet!



"En Ville/Frisco" plays as the stage turns into an acrobatic madhouse! The sax on this song wails in harmony with the myriad of leaps & flips!



"Gambade" is another transitional piece for the extensive safety-net setup.



"High Bar" is the pinnacle of the show, both on the stage, & in the speaker system! This song truly captures the anticipation of watching trapeze artists. Even though the risk of injury is minimized by the safety net, it's still amazing to see these guys fling through the air on cue, & somehow manage to catch each other's hands. At times, the song delivers a powerful, unstoppable rhythm; then on cue with the performers, it suddenly halts as we hold our collective breath--then it allows us to breathe again while building up to the next stunt.



Approaching the show's end, an array of drums rises from the mist, & a battalion of drummers bang out "Taiko"!



"Finale", as you can imagine, summarizes the show, & recaps some of the melody presented during "Ouverture". After experiencing this thrilling musical spanning a range of human emotions, "Finale" closes the circle in a magnificent way!

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