The Mirror Pool

Released in 1995 on 4AD, The Mirror Pool marks Lisa Gerrard's debut as a solo artist, recorded during a period of transition for Dead Can Dance. The album is a sprawling 16-track odyssey that synthesizes her interests in world music, baroque opera, and darkwave. A significant portion of the record features the Victorian Philharmonic Orchestra, providing a cinematic scope that would later define her career as an award-winning film composer. The album includes 'Sanvean', a track that became one of her most iconic compositions, frequently appearing in film and television. Musically, it is notable for its use of the yangqin (Chinese hammered dulcimer) and its departure from the more rhythmic, percussion-heavy 'world-beat' sound of late-era Dead Can Dance in favor of a more static, atmospheric, and neoclassical approach. Critics noted its intense emotionality and the technical brilliance of Gerrard's vocal range, which spans from deep, resonant contralto to soaring soprano.