Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy

Infobox Album | Name = Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy
Type = Live album
Artist = Mylène Farmer


Released = December 4 2006
Recorded = Paris
Genre = Pop
Length = 1:40:05
Label = Polydor
Producer = Laurent Boutonnat
Reviews = * Dvdrama rating-10|9 [http://www.dvdrama.com/rw_fiche-7350-.php link]
Last album = "Avant que l'ombre..."
(2005)
This album = "Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy"
(2006)
Next album = "Point de Suture"
(2008)

Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Type = Live album


Lower caption = Collector edition Singles
Name = Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy
Type = Live album
single 1 = Avant que l'ombre...
single 1 date = November 26, 2006
single 2 = Déshabillez-moi
single 2 date = March 5, 2007

"Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy" is the fourth live album by Mylène Farmer, released on December 4, 2006. In France, but also in Belgium, the DVD of the concert was very successful, having huge sales in a very short time.

Background

Six years after her Mylenium Tour, Mylène Farmer came back on stage with a tour in 2006 which included 13 shows at Bercy, in Paris. This very successful series of concerts started on January 13 and ended 16 days later, on January 29. As after each of her tour, Farmer decided to launch a live album retracing her concert. Thus, Jérome Devoise mixed the 20 songs performed on stage and the album "Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy" was eventually released on December 4, 2006 as CDs and DVDs, under various editions.

The album contains songs from all Farmer's studio albums, except "Cendres de Lune" and "Innamoramento". The production enjoys very high quality in terms of sound effects. Some of the old hits were re-orchestred in a much modern version, while the slow songs from the last studio album are recorded in a more stripped style. ["L'Intégrale Mylene Farmer", Erwan Chuberre, 2007, City Ed., p. 49 (ISBN 978-2-35288-108-7)]

The various formats, particularly the DVD box, had huge success : the video was certified Diamond after a single week of release.

The two singles from this album, "Avant que l'ombre..." and "Déshabillez-moi", achieved a minor success in term of sales, but were both top ten hits in France.

Critical reception

This album was, on the whole, well-received by media and contemporary pop music critics. Nicolas Gardon, in "L'Echo Republicain", said that this album offers an "fair performance, but only a few surprises : the shimmering and coloured universe of Mylène Farmer is perfectly reproduced in this double CD. ["L'Echo Républicain", December 2006, "Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy", Nicolas Gardon [http://www.devant-soi.com/Monde-de-Myl%E8ne/presse/articles-presse/2006/L'Echo_R%E9publicain_122006.jpgDevant-soi.com] (Retrieved March 23, 2008)] The release of this DVD was regarded as "the event of the week" by the magazine "Télé Star". ["Télé Star", December 2006 [http://www.devant-soi.com/Monde-de-Myl%E8ne/presse/articles-presse/2006/T%E9l%E9_Star_122006_2.jpgDevant-soi.com] (Retrieved March 23, 2008)]

"Dvdrama" qualifies the DVD as "sublime" video, specifying : "The image of this concert exceeds in all respects the nevertheless perfect image of the previous two already available concerts. The red and the black, the dominant colors, are staggering of beauty". On the other hand, it expressed some little criticisms on the quality of the sound. ["Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy", Dvdrama [http://www.dvdrama.com/rw_fiche-7350-.php Dvdrama.com] (Retrieved April 4, 2008]

Chart performances

In France, the DVD was sold to 98,000 copies in its first week of release - what constitutes a record. On the French Videos Chart, it debuted at number 1French SNEP Musical DVD Chart from 03.12.06 to 09.12.06 [http://www.ifop.com/europe/sondages/topvideos/vid0649.stm Ifop.com] (Retrieved January 12, 2008)] for four consecutive weeks and stayed in the top ten for 13 weeks. It managed to remain in the top 40 until November 17, 2007. Certified Triple diamond,2006 DVD certifications [http://www.disqueenfrance.com/certifications/video.asp?forme_certif=20&annee=24 Disqueenfrance.com] (Retrieved January 12, 2008)] this DVD was, only 15 days after its release, the second best-selling video of 2006, just behind the musical "Le Roi Soleil".2006 French SNEP Musical DVD Chart [http://www.ifop.com/europe/sondages/DISCANNU/vid06.stm Ifop.com] (Retrieved January 12, 2008)] To date, about 450,000 copies are sold.
The CD was sold to 41,034 copies in the week of its release, and, as for the DVD, it went straight to number 1 on the French Albums Chart on December 9, 2006. However, it dropped to #8 the following week, stayed only for eight weeks in the top 50 and left the chart (Top 200) after its 18th week."Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy", French SNEP Albums Chart [http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?key=47624&cat=a Lescharts.com] (Retrieved January 12, 2008)] So the DVD was preferred by the buyers. The album was nevertheless the 57th best-selling album of 20062006 French SNEP Albums Chart [http://www.ifop.com/europe/sondages/DISCANNU/albums06.stm Ifop.com] (Retrieved January 12, 2008)] and totaled approximately 130,000 copies sold. It was certified Gold disc by the SNEP.2006 Albums certifications [http://www.disqueenfrance.com/certifications/album.asp?suite=9&forme_certif=8&annee=24 Disqueenfrance.com] (Retrieved April 4, 2008)]

In Belgium (Wallonia), the CD entered the album chart at #9 on December 16, 2006, and reached its peak position, #3, the week after. However, it dropped quickly then and stabilized in the last positions. It left the chart (Top 40) on April 6, 2007, after 12 weeks of attendance."Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy", Belgian (Wallonia) Ultratop 40 Albums Chart [http://www.ultratop.be/fr/showitem.asp?interpret=Myl%E8ne+Farmer&titel=Avant+que+l%27ombre%2E%2E%2E+%E0+Bercy&cat=a Ultratop.be] (Retrieved January 12, 2008)]
The DVD started directly to number 1 and kept this position for eight consecutive weeks. It stayed in the top ten for a total of 32 weeks. So, in Belgium too, the DVD was more sold than the CD.

The live CD was also charted in Switzerland, but had a moderate success in this country. It went to #20 on December 17, 2006 and reached its peak position, #18, the following week. After that, it kept on dropping and left the Top 100 after its 11 week."Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy", Swiss Albums Chart [http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Myl%E8ne+Farmer&titel=Avant+que+l%27ombre%2E%2E%2E+%E0+Bercy&cat=a Hitparade.ch] (Retrieved January 12, 2008)]

ingles

References