CHARLES KACZYNSKI - LUMIÈRE DE LA NUIT

CHARLES KACZYNSKI - LUMIÈRE DE LA NUIT

Disk 1 . . . . . . .40.55
1) Éclipse . . . . . . . . . . 3:34
2) Lumière De La Nuit . . . . 5:57
3) Éveil Du Soleil . . . . . . . . . . 2:35
4) Chant De Rêve . . . . . . . . . . 0:34
5) Liberté . . . . . . . . . . 5:38
6) Père De La Terre . . . . . . . . 2:30
7) Arrivée . . . . . . . . . . 2:00
8) Réincarnation . . . . . . . . . 2:56
9) Naissance . . . . . . . . . . 3:37
10) Conscience . . . . . . . . . . 2:43
11) Indépendance . . . . . . . . 2:10
12) Évolution . . . . . . . . . . 0:52
13) Utopie . . . . . . . . . . 1:12
14) Euphorie . . . . . . . . . . 2:33
15) Départ . . . . . . . . . . 2:25

Line-up
- Charles Kaczynski: violin, alto violin, cello, acoustic bass, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, piano, organ, melodica, flute, recorder, cymbals, toms, bass drum, bongos, congas, percussions, vocals

format: Single CD - digipak • ProgQuébec MPM14
release date: April 30, 2006

First off, let me say that reviewing this album was a very enjoyable experience, because Lumière De La Nuit is a majestic, emotional, epic recording, and an incredible undertaking from violinist/composer Charles Kaczynski. Renowned session musician in Montreal, he guested on violins on the first album of the Quebec prog band Conventum in 1977 and shortly thereafter, he started working on his solo album, which was recorded recorded from November 1978 to March 1979. This is the very first time that this glorious recording is available on CD, in a lovely digipak format. What an amazing musician! This album was single-handedly made from beginning to end by himself alone! Not only did he write the music, the lyrics and the musical and orchestral arrangements, but this talented multi-instrumentalist played every single instrument on this album, including violin, alto violin, cello, acoustic bass, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, piano, organ, melodica, flute, recorder, percussions, and vocals. This jewel could be described as progressive chamber music epic with medieval, celtic, baroque and folk themes, it has certain similarities at times to Jean-Luc Ponty and Mike Oldfield, but the musical concept itself is quite unique.

The album is composed of 15 tracks in the 3 to 5-minute range, all joined together to form a continuous, flowing opus. The first track, Éclipse, begins with a grand piano/violin intro, with eerie back vocals, and introduces the main theme of the album, a lovely classical ballad with majestic envolées. Lumière De La Nuit, the longest track of the album, has vocal passages sung in French (the lyrics are behind the transparent CD tray), and features beautifully crafted melodica and violin passages. Éveil Du Soleil features the main theme of the album, a very catchy vocal chorus that will stay in your head, with a march-like passage towards the end. Chant De Rêve is a brief vocal interlude that introduces Liberté, a lovely track will remind you a little bit of Harmonium, and also features a brilliant violin solo with bombastic percussions in the background, ending with a captivating, dramatic grand finale. Père De La Terre abruptly switches to a bass driven theme with great back vocals, a cool rhythm and edgy violins. Arrivée is a very folky violin/recorder track with an irish pub atmosphere. Réincarnation has dramatic vocals, sung in french, a very ethereal, violin composition. Naissance is a quiet melodic violin/flute composition that introduces Conscience, a passionate, emotional composition with an absolutely exquisite violin solo over ethereal back vocals. Indépendance, similar to the previous track, continues on the same theme with the addition of beautiful vocal harmonies. Évolution is a short interlude with a somber version of the previous themes that introduces Utopie, an eerie, chaotic orchestral medley of all the instruments, much like an orchestra tune up/rehearsal. Euphorie is a solemn, melancholic violin passage with a layered finale that expands in pitch, similar to the end of Pink Floyd's Echoes. Départ concludes this brilliant opus with an acoustic guitar theme over background vocals, the guitar slowly fading to leave only the chorus.

Magnificent! Lumière De La Nuit is an historical album that should be considered among the gems of progressive music from Quebec, an underrated album that will be accessible for all to enjoy now that it's finally on CD. Just the sheer exploit of a single musician recording such a masterpiece all by himself is a remarkable feat. The album brings you through a range of emotions and atmospheres, with its exceptional musicianship and an extremely high level of creativity, truly a timeless classic unaffected by the fact that it was created over 27 years ago. Nowadays, Charles is the musical director/composer for Cirque Eloise, a musical theater ensemble similar to Cirque du Soleil, where his creative genius thrives. A note of interest for collectors, the original vinyl album released in 1979 is available in two different versions, the original French recording, used for this CD, and a rare English version, which runs a bit longer.

My rating for Lumière De La Nuit : 9/10(album reviewed by Robert Dansereau 14/08/2006)