Cirque Du Soleil - Varekai
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CD Details
Artist: Cirque Du SoleilEdition: Music CD
Format: Import, Soundtrack
CD Release Date: 2003-01-07
Music Label: Bmg Int'l
Soundtracks:
- Rain One
- Le Reveur
- Vocea
- Moon Light
- Patzivota
- El Pendulo
- Gitans
- Kero Hireyo
- Lubia Dobarstan
- Emballa
- Oscillum
- Funambul
- Resolution
Music reviews of Varekai
Music Review: Varekai : Another Cirque Disappointment
Rating: 3 Stars
Varekai is a brilliant show featuring two talented vocalists and Cirque veterans, Matthieu Lavoie (Quidam, Varekai) and Zara Tellander (O, Varekai). The live performance score is exotic, uplifting, and at times simply breathtaking. Yet once again, as with Quidam, Cirque du Soleil's decision to alter the companion soundtrack has devastating results. The remixed songs do retain some semblance of the originals, but the lush beauty is lost and the listener is left with a disjointed impression of the music. Most disappointing (and at times downright annoying) is an unrelated man who speaks earth-related adjectives like "falling" and "searching" with endless reverb. By mid-CD one may feel the urge to strangle him, and by the end, his additives have become downright laughable.
---DVD PERFORMANCE ACTS---
Sound Machine
Overture
Aerial Contortion In Net
Icarian Games
Water Meteors
Clowns
Cloud Act (Interlude #1)
Triple Trapeze
Georgian Dance
Man Cycle (Interlude #2)
Slippery Surface
Acrobatic Pas de Deux
Solo On Crutches
Aerial Straps
Juggling
Lightbulb (Interlude #3)
Handbalancing
Russian Swing
Closing
---CD TRACKS---
1. Aureus (Pre-Handbalancing): Delicate piano melody here ruined by "the man" speaking earthy nonsense.
2. Rain One (pre-Russian Swing): Lovely simple piano melody true to the show--here ruined by "the guy" repeating "falling....falling...you can see the fall" over and over again with reverb. If you begin actually waiting for him to say it becomes incredibly comical (count 7 times at 1 minutes, 32 seconds). After a minute the song takes a new direction with a new melody and lyrics, featuring the vocals of Natacha Atlas and Tina Grace. Surprisingly not a horrible addition.
3. Le R?veur (Solo on Crutches): Appropriately exotic with a distinct Indian feel. Somewhat similar to original performance with both original vocals but missing the chant-like singing. Also has the added spoken adjectives by "the man". B- for being similar but missing some of the more upbeat musical sections.
4. Vocea (Aerial Contortion in Net): Classically Varekai in the performance with beautiful singing by Zara Tellander; don't know what happened but here Tellander's vocals are horrible! Many times she's off-pitch and is actually painful to listen to. Much less full orchestra and annoying backup chorus. Lavoie is also missing. "Vocea" is entirely sung without any orchestrations to break it up. Poor changes that almost ruin the song.
5. Moon Light (Handbalancing on Canes): Positively painful. The Middle Eastern tone of the original has been blown completely out of proportion. Little resemblance to the original remains.
6. Rubeus (Pre-Handbalancing): Essentially a repeat of track #1.
7. Patzivota (pre-Russian Swings): Same melody of "Rain One" which then moves into the wedding music. Pleased that it was included and was not changed much, but I intensely dislike the slow choir-like approach. Seems muddy and drawn out.
8. El P?ndulo (Aerial Straps): Thankfully retains much of the original; Tellander is excellent (and sings Lavoie's part throughout). A bit more heavily syncopated with percussion and the orchestra isn't quite as stirring and emotive. Sadly missing the exquisite violin solo of the live performance. For the first and only time, the spoken affirmations are well-placed and actually add to the song.
9. Gitans (Opening): Similar to the original with the violin, plus some added background percussion. A little convoluted but retains the essence of the performance piece.
10. K?ro Hir?yo (Triple Trapeze): Enchanting melody. Live performance features ethereal and pure vocals from Tellander; here they are rougher and less refined. Lavoie's backup (true to the show) is welcome. This track missing flute which detracts from its beauty.
11. Infinitus (Pre-Handbalancing): Essentially a repeat of track #1.
12. Lubia Dobarstan (Water Meteors): Still hints at the upbeat and fun live performance version, but like many tracks, greatly pared down orchestrations mean less for the listener to grasp onto. Weird beginning with "the man" speaking seriously about "journeys" which has no relation to the act or following musical piece. Rather thin and whiny when compared to the live version.
13. Emballa (Juggling): Completely and utterly bizarre. Perhaps this is the new music for the Juggling act, but it's nothing like the DVD. Weird techno chanting. Very strange.
14. Oscillum (Russian Swings): Both the original and the CD track are pretty much drums with minimal music. The performance has a bit more melody but the beat is similar. Nothing too special about either version so no real complaints on this track.
15. Funambul (Cloud Act): Finally a carbon copy of the show but get the speaking man out of there! It does go on a bit too long, with more refrains than the performance, but not a true complaint.
16. Resolution (not in show): Truly odd. An eclectic jumble of violin and percussion. No coordination and little semblance to the rest of the show. Waste of a track when another omitted song could have been included.
(For those wishing to re-arrange their music true to the live show, it would be as follows):
#9
#4
#12
#15
#10
#3
#8
#13
#1/#6/#11
#2
#5
#7
#14
Omit #16 (if desired)
---TRACKS CUT FROM CD---
Several additional tracks were added to a special edition of the soundtrack, no longer available for retail sale. These were essentially taken from the live show performance and include "C?l?bration de l'Errance" (Overture), "Euphoria" (Icarian Games), "Movimento" (Georgian Dance), "Sun Drum Fun" (Slippery Surface), "Trasparenza" (Acrobatic Pas de Deux), and "Mutationis" (Handbalancing.) Why these gorgeous tracks were not included in the first place is a complete mystery, particularly major performance acts such as Icarian Games and Georgian Dance.
---FINAL TAKE---
My 3 star rating comes from the following:
Missing pieces from the show
Major changes to many songs
Out of order from show schedule
Varekai's performance score is a journey into an unearthly world. The companion CD is a disappointing deviation from the uplifting and harmonious live version of the show. It serves only to tantalize the listener with small glimpses of the originals and may be worth purchasing for this small tease. Sadly, however, Cirque continues its track record of failing its audience when it produces its soundtracks.
Description of Varekai
Soundtrack to 2002 production from the hit avant garde Quebec circus. It's based on the theme of Icarus, the mythical Greek hero who flew too close to the sun on wings of wax & feathers. Varekai, with more than 50 performers, is the 14th live production of the Cirque du Soleil & its first since 1999. Slipcase. BMG.If Quebec-based Cirque Du Soleil has triumphed by shrewdly goosing international circus traditions and style with an American sense of theatrical scale and marketing flair, the adventurous musical scores of its dazzling productions have always been a crucial part of the mix. Returning from Cirque's 1999 production, Dralion, Italian-born, Canada-based composer Violaine Corradai informs this tale of fallen angel Icarus with a score that leans on a swirling mix of ethnic folk influences suffused with electronic rhythms, autumnal orchestral colors, choral flourishes, and snippets of ghostly, echoing narrative dialog. Her contemporary, neo-ambient bent has more in common with Bush and Bj?rk than it does with Barnum and Bailey, informed by a spare, ethereal dramatic sense and dizzying multiculturalism that encompasses everything from Latin liturgy to moody Middle Eastern modalities and lively Gypsy influences. --Jerry McCulley
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