• From album liner:

Optimystique was recorded in 1980 and released for the first time in 1984. I considered re-recording or reworking the material before re-releasing it again, but the album has a very special sound representative of a particular time early in my career which I wanted to preserve. For me, it is a piece of my history I remember fondly.

Track listing

1. "The Sphynx" – 4:05
2. "Butterfly Dance" – 6:21
3. "Strings" – 3:43
4. "Twilight" – 7:22
5. "The Chase" – 5:04
6. "Farewell" – 2:43
7. "Turn of the Tide" – 3:52
8. "The Magus" – 4:40

Personnel

• All music composed and produced by Yanni
  Yanni
  Yanni , born Yiannis Hrysomallis is a Greek self-taught pianist, keyboardist, and composer who has spent most of his life in the United States.He earned Grammy nominations for his 1992 album, Dare to Dream, and the 1993 follow-up, In My Time...
  
  
• Yanni
  Yanni
  Yanni , born Yiannis Hrysomallis is a Greek self-taught pianist, keyboardist, and composer who has spent most of his life in the United States.He earned Grammy nominations for his 1992 album, Dare to Dream, and the 1993 follow-up, In My Time...
  
    – Synthesizer
  Synthesizer
  A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
  
  s and Keyboards
  Keyboard instrument
  A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
  
  
• Ernest LaViolette  – Drum
  Drum
  The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
  
  s and Percussion
• Tom Sterling  – Bass guitar
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
   on "Twilight"
• Dugan McNeill
  Dugan McNeill
  Dugan McNeill, is an American musician and record producer who most notably worked with the 1980s Minnesota rock band Chameleon with members: Charlie Adams, Yanni, Mark Anthony, and Johnny Donaldson. The band recorded four albums together. Other recording credits include bass on the 1984 album...
  
    – Bass guitar
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
   on "The Chase"
• Tony Matsis  – Bouzouki
  Bouzouki
  The bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
  
   on "Strings"
• Bruce Kurno  – Harp
  Harp
  The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
  
  s

Production

• Produced by Jerry Steckling and Yanni
  Yanni
  Yanni , born Yiannis Hrysomallis is a Greek self-taught pianist, keyboardist, and composer who has spent most of his life in the United States.He earned Grammy nominations for his 1992 album, Dare to Dream, and the 1993 follow-up, In My Time...
  
  
• Executive Producers: Mark MacPherson and Tom Paske
• Engineered by: Jerry Steckling
• Assistant Engineer: Chopper Black
• Recorded at Cookhouse Studios and Sound 80, Minneapolis
• Mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Los Angeles