TROIS-RIVIÈRES – The soundtrack created for STONE, Cirque du Soleil’s Hommage à Plamondon, has been the subject of high praise since it was enjoyed by the public at the Cogeco Amphitheater in Trois-Rivières last summer. So, for the first time, an album featuring the songs from the tribute show will be the subject of a music album release, available May 18th!
STONE, the album, will contain fifteen pieces of music as crafted by musical director Jean-Phi Concalves for the show. On the album we’ll find: “Le Parc Belmont” by Martha Wainwright, “Monopolis” by Milk & Bone, “Oxygène” by Betty Bonifassi, “Le monde est Stone” by Beyries, “Lili voulait aller danser” by La Bronze, “Ma mère chantait toujours” by Marie-Pierre Arthur, “L’île aux Mimosas” by Klô Pelgag, “Je danse dans ma tête” by Marie-Mai, “Call-Girl” by Valérie Carpentier, “Tiens-toé ben j’arrive!” by Catherine Major, “Le blues du businessman” by Safia Nolin, “Les sans-papiers” by Marie-Josée Lord, “S.O.S. d’un terrien en détresse” by Ariane Moffatt, “Le monde est fou” by Gabrielle Shonk and “L’Hymne à la beauté du monde” by the entire show team.
But it wasn’t as simple as just placing the music on a soundtrack; Concalves put in a lot of studio work to adapt the show’s musical pieces for an album. “It was necessary to adapt the music because sometimes there were breaks or lengths required by the show in the structure [of the music]. Additionally, I had to remix [the music] completely [for the album] because the mixing done for a large amphitheater is very different from one made for an album that will be listened to at home or in a car.”
“In the end, I [feel] that the album stands very well on its own, detached from the visual of the show. Of course, it is a soundtrack so people who have had the chance to see the show will [relive the experience], but it will also be interesting for those who have not seen it.”
Although Conclaves is not convinced STONE is his best work among the three shows presented at the Cogeco Amphitheater thus far, he is convinced that this soundtrack deserves to be heard. “In the context of shows, it’s the one I went the furthest away on from musically because we did not work from master tapes; we had new performers. The end result definitely deserved to be on an album. For me, it was a shame to lose this work after only twenty shows. I wanted it to survive and it’s a feeling that people at Cirque also shared.”
This does not mean that Cirque will necessarily repeat the same approach in the future. “It’s always case by case,” explains Goncalves. “For example, with the Colocs, we work from original tapes, which the process more complex because there are a lot of legalities involved. Every year we wondered if we could release the music for these shows, considering it as much from an artistic point of view based on the rights that needed to be secured.”
“For Stone, the context was different and it was more justified.” That involved the contribution of fourteen or fifteen performers and it’s certainly the most imposing collective work that has been done on the side of music.”
On behalf of the Trois-Rivières Events Corporation, General Manager Steve Dubé was delighted with the news. “We are really happy. We’ve exhibited three shows that have performed only 20 times each, now there is one that will stay forever. This is excellent news.”
“There was a demand from the public for [the music] from each show,” Dubé said. “Each time things prevented such a release, but this time when Jean-Phi Goncalves called us to see if we agreed, we did not hesitate a second. Especially since he has done such an amazing job every time. Having listened to two excerpts from the next show, I can guarantee a fantastic summer. But in the case of Plamondon, the songs have already lasted for decades and Jean-Phi gave them a very current vibe that will allow them to survive for many decades more to come.”
The album will be widely available in CD format at various music stores across the country, and will also be found on all main digital platforms. Additionally, a few hundred copies have been pressed on Vinyl.
The album will be officially launched on May 18th.
{ SOURCE: Le Nouvelliste }
