Mournful Cries

Mournful Cries

Track Listings

1. Creeps

2. Dragon Time

3. Shooting Gallery

4. Looking Glass

5. Bitter Truth

6. Troll

Tracks:

Alexander's Feast: Overture
Alexander's Feast: 'Twas at the Royal Feast
Alexander's Feast: Happy, Happy, Happy Pair
Alexander's Feast: Timotheus plac'd on high
Harp Concerto Op.4, No.6 in B flat: Allegro
Harp Concerto Op.4, No.6 in B flat: Larghetto
Harp Concerto Op.4, No.6 in B flat: Allegro moderato
Alexander's Feast: The song began from Jove
Alexander's Feast: The list'ning Crowd
Alexander's Feast: With ravish'd Ears
Alexander's Feast: The praise of Bacchus
Alexander's Feast: Bacchus, ever fair and young
Alexander's Feast: Sooth'd with the sound
Alexander's Feast: He chose a Mournful Muse
Alexander's Feast: He sung Darus Great and Good
Alexander's Feast: With downcast Looks
Alexander's Feast: Behold Darius Great and Good
Alexander's Feast: The Mighty Master smil'd to see
Alexander's Feast: Softly sweet
Alexander's Feast: War, he sung, is Toil and Trouble
Alexander's Feast: The Many rend the Skies
Alexander's Feast: The Prince, unable to conceal
Alexander's Feast: The Many rend the Skies

Tracks:

Alexander's Feast: Now strike the Golden Lyre
Alexander's Feast: Revenge, Revenge, Timotheus cries
Alexander's Feast: Give the Vengeance due
Alexander's Feast: The Princes applaud with a furious joy
Alexander's Feast: Thais led the way
Alexander's Feast: Thus long ago
Alexander's Feast: At last Divine Cecilia came
Alexander's Feast: Let old Timotheus yield the Prize
Alexander's Feast: Let old Timotheus yield the Prize
Organ Concerto Op.4, No.1 in G minor: Larghetto e staccato
Organ Concerto Op.4, No.1 in G minor: Allegro
Organ Concerto Op.4, No.1 in G minor: Adagio
Organ Concerto Op.4, No.1 in G minor: Andante
Alexander's Feast (conclusion): Your Voices tune

Album Description

"A remarkable recording." - REPERTOIRE

The nature of Alexander's Feast is perhaps better summed up by its other title, The Power of Music. It is a celebratory ode for St. Cecilia's Day, written by Dryden in 1697 for the traditional celebration of the patron saint of music and set in celebratory style by Handel in 1736. At its first performance that year, he incorporated two delightful concertos, one for harp and one for organ, and these are included on this recording. Winner of the Deutschen Schallplattenkritic prize.

Customer Reviews:

Spirited performance of charming work.......2007-03-10

This performance of Alexander's Feast is, in my opinion, exactly right for the work; beautiful, clear voices singing the solos with good diction, a lovely balance in the small chorus, and superb playing of appropriate instruments for the piece and for the period. The notes on the flyer are also excellent, presenting the background and intention of the work.

Alexander's Feast - English version.......2006-02-26

This recording is a very complete version of Alexander's Feast, following the composer's practice of inserting other pieces to create a performance of appropriate length. Excellent soloists, orchestra, and chorus. A high quality recording.

One of Handel's great works.......2005-11-19

I just attended a live performance of Alexander's Feast and I saw many people who probably never heard anything else than Messiah, suddenly finding out that there is more to Handel than Hallelujah chorus. This music is exciting and original, you may know several arias like "War he said is toil and trouble" or "Revenge!" but it is great as a complete work. It was written for St. Cecilia's Day celebration, then re-written several times, but it remains as a beautiful example of Handel's mastery in choral composition and writing showcase arias. The soloists are great, especially Ian Partridge, and the chorus is outstanding. This is a wonderful performance of one of Handel's great works.

Handel's Great "Feast" in an Impeccable Rendition.......2005-08-22

"Alexander's Feast," Handel's 1736 setting of Dryden's ode in honor of St. Cecilia's Day (patron saint of music) is a masterpiece and a delight, but its odd length - too long for a mixed program, too short for a full evening - gave Handel trouble and apparently still presents a problem: this is at present the only recording of this inspired work in the catalogue, though some good ones have come and gone. Fortunately, this reissue of the Sixteen's 1990 version is first-rate, in fact the best I ever recall hearing, with chorus, orchestra, soloists and conductor all in top form. Furthermore, music director Harry Christophers has wisely chosen to include the two concerti - one for harp, the other for organ - that Handel inserted in his original performances. Not only do they lengthen the piece to a satisfactory 115', they serve a satisfactory dramatic purpose by representing respectively the power of music in its pagan form - the bard Timotheus's lyre represented by the harp - and Christian - Cecilia's (apocryphal) organ. Both receive sparkling interpretations here.
If you enjoy such Handel works as "L'Allegro..." and "Acis and Galatea," you will certainly enjoy "Alexander's Feast," which finds the composer in peak form, responding with eagerness to the high quality of the English verse before him. And it's hard to imagine a better way to get to know it than this wonderful performance.

Average customer rating:

very worthy effort
This ain't doom, this is dum
The 2nd best DOOM album of All Time
The Second Best Album Of All Time! Pure Doom!
The Title Says It All...

Mournful Cries
Saint Vitus
Manufacturer: Sst Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Born Too Late
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ASIN: B000000M3E
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

The Creeps
Dragon Time
Shooting Gallery
Bitter Truth
The Troll
Looking Glass

Customer Reviews:

very worthy effort.......2006-07-11

This one gets slagged as their second worst, after COD. The childish art on the cover of each doesn't help, either. And I admit the lyrical themes in MC are silly in two or three places (e.g. Dragon Time), but it still captures the Vitus feel. The Troll, while a dumb theme if taken literally, I believe is best interpreted symbolically ("When I fall down, in the stree,t people stop and laugh at me.") I think of the Troll as referring to the dope fiend, or the street person (also, the theme in Shooting Gallery). The songs occasionally approach upbeat (by Vitus standards), but the Troll and Shooting Gallery are sludge delights. Make no mistake, this work knows how to represent the defeated and the downtrodden.

This ain't doom, this is dum.......2004-11-16

I'll be brief. This is childish, naive and very amateurish. These guys are nowhere near the great Black Sabbath. And don't say they're not trying to imitate them !

The 2nd best DOOM album of All Time.......2002-08-15

I meant to say[see my review from 4/24/2002] that this was the 2nd Best DOOM metal album(if we're breaking music down into sub-genres as people are wont to do for purposes of simplification) of all Time, not the 2nd best album in ANY genre/sub genre, as my title line would imply. There is great music in all genres, I don't want to be limiting in any way. Keep On Rockin'!! -S.L.

The Second Best Album Of All Time! Pure Doom!.......2002-04-25

If Saint Vitus' "Born Too Late" LP is the best album of all time, then their "Mournful Cries" LP is the second best. Here are six tracks, just as with the "Born Too Late" LP(although the CD version of "B.T.L." has 3 extra tracks that originally constituted the "Thirsty and Miserable" EP) of pure doom metal. The opener "The Creeps" starts with a descending-chord riff that sounds more like an old punk style riff than lumbering doom, then settles into a mid-paced tempo. Note the maracas(!) in the background. The song then leads right into the lumbering "Dragon Time", a tale about the most popular of mythical medieval creatures, the Dragon. Check out guitarist Dave Chandler's "When A Dragon Is This Old...It knows only pain" spoken word in the intro and his "It's Dragon Time!" on the outro.His growls lend the song a weird authenticity. "Shooting Gallery" seems to be about the tragedy of heroin use, with a truly haunting slow riff that breaks into a great "wall of guitar" midway through. "Bitter Truth", written by vocalist/second guitarist Scott "Wino" Weinrich, is the standout track of the LP, with it's beautiful acoustic guitar intro(A Vitus first!) "The Troll", a tale of one man's despair against what mankind has become and a desire to stay cut off from it, is lyrically dynamic, and features a great feedback-solo from Dave. The album closer, "Looking Glass", leaves the listener with the immrotally uplifting words, "Cold gray haze will never stay/Don't ever let 'em take your strength away." Words to live by. The only problem with the LP is it's production sound, which makes the guitars seem very compressed and the drums hollow. It make have something to do with the fact that the album was recorded in 3 days, but the production here seems much thinner than on "Born Too Late". And the digital sound on the CD version only accentuates the thinness of the mix. Also, the CD is only 33 minutes long. While I understand the time limitations of the LP format, SST Records could have added some extra material(if there was any) to the Cassette and CD. Regardless, a true slab of Doom that will not be bettered by any other band! DOOM OUT!!

The Title Says It All..........2001-10-22

I've been a longtime fan of Saint Vitus, but I just can't get close to this one; in my opinion, "Mournful Cries" are what you'll hear yourself making when you listen to this album..not because of the slow, sludgy, gloom-and-doom theme of the material, which were Vitus trademarks, but because of 2 things: first and foremost, Scott Weinrich's vocals are awful! I believe that Saint Vitus got a musical vasectomy when original vocalist Scott Reagers left the band; his unique voice added charisma and life to even the slowest and sludgiest songs of SV's earlier albums. Weinrich ("Wino"..very appropriate nickname) sounds flat and dull, and even his guitar playing did little to augment or enhance the band's sound. He should've stayed with The Obsessed at the time, because he doesn't (and never did) cut it with Vitus.

Secondly, the songs sound uninspired and under-rehearsed; it's obvious with one listen that they were running out of gas and in a state of decline (again, mostly to do with the absence of Scott Reagers). The band released two more terrible albums with Weinrich, and then replaced him with Christian Linderson in 1992 for the god-awful "C.O.D." (at which point, guitarist Dave Chandler went by the ridiculous moniker "D.C. Vitus"...no doubt Dave was inspired by M.C. Hammer??). Even the surprising presence of Don Dokken as producer didn't help; they should've called it "D.O.A.", because Vitus was all but dead by that time.

Tracks:

'Tis Pleasant Here, Op. 21 No. 7
Everything Passes, Op. 26 No. 15
The Answer Was Given, Op. 21 No. 4
A Song For My Cornfield, Op. 4 No. 5
Heed Me Not, Dear, Op. 14 No. 7
I Wait For You, Op. 14 No. 1
Night
The Night Is Sad, Op. 26 No. 12
I Am Alone Again, Op. 26 No. 9
Autumn
I Left My Home Behind
Open Before Me, O My Guardian Angel
Silver Path
Russia Cast Adrift
Simon, Peter... Where Are You? Come To Me
Where Are You, O My Father's House
Beyond The Hills Of The Milky Way
It Sounds, It Sounds, The Fateful Trumpet!
An Owl Cries In Autumn
Oh, I Believe, I Believe In Happiness!
O My Homeland, O Happy And Eternal Hour!

Customer Reviews:

Indescribably beautiful music, superlative performances........2005-09-06

This CD was hard to find. After a few months of searching, I decided to buy `gently used.' But I am not sorry at all. I very much wanted to hear more of Sviridov's music, having absorbed the thrilling Petersburg song cycle, also performed by these two extraordinary musicians.

Let me say first that Sviridov's music truly drives both performances. Long a fan of pianist Mikhail Arkadiev, I was surprised by what I heard. His playing is always superb, but on this CD, he is beyond inspired.

This sentiment goes double for Dmitri Hvorostovsky, whose interpretation of Russia Cast Adrift has been criticized in the past. I was very moved by his work here. His artistry is always amazing, but the depth of his interpretation is such that I can barely explain how or what I feel when I listen to it. His voice is superb, his performance flawless, his talent seemingly without boundary. An original, unique, and singular vocalist.

If you can find this CD, buy it at any cost. Otherwise, you will be missing out on something very special indeed.

One of Hvorostovsky's best.......2004-12-15

Hvorostovsky is in terrific form here, bringing a compelling intensity to these often-anguished Sviridov songs. While many music lovers may initially be drawn to the more accessible Rachmaninov songs, it's the Sviridov cycle that ultimately stands out here. Enhanced by Hvorostovsky's dark timbre and sensitive phrasing, songs such as The Owl and the riveting Milky Way emerge as profoundly haunting miniature masterpieces. Shortly after this recording was made, the octogenarian Sviridov (1915-1998) would write another song cycle - this time expressly for the great Hvorostovsky: the equally memorable Petersburg - a Vocal Poem, released on the Delos label in 2004.

Come for the Rachmaninov and stay for the Sviridov!.......1999-06-06

The world of music should be grateful that the late Georgi Sviridov found such an invincible champion for his stunning and yet accessible song cycles. Even with uncharted repertoire Hvorostovsky does a painstaking job and never disappoints the listener. Mikhail Arkadiev works magic with the often episodic piano accompaniments, which sound by no means easy. Of course the Rachmaninov is very nice, like a refreshing salad before a scrumptious main course. But the Sviridov deserves a wide audience. It is to be hoped as of this posting that his cycle 'Petersburg' (a foundation stone of Hvorostovsky's latest recital tour program) will also be recorded in its entirety.

Handel: Alexander's Feast; Concerto grosso in C "Alexander's Feast"

Average customer rating:

Libretto by John Dryden

Handel: Alexander's Feast; Concerto grosso in C "Alexander's Feast"

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000E3T3
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Customer Reviews:

Libretto by John Dryden.......2003-04-19

If Messiah is the greatest Christian oratorio, then I nominate this a candidate for the pagan crown. The poem is high art most worthy of a Handel to set it to music all the while being scrupulous with the text. But no more of my amateurish opinions, here are some random shorts from Winton Dean's liner notes:

"Alexander's Feast" was an immediate and lasting success. Of Handel's major works only "Acis and Galatia" and Messiah were performed more frequently performed during his life."

"There are seven accompanied recitatives, the most dramatic of all gestures-- and exceptional number even in a three act work-- all of outstanding quality. Most of them occur in the fourth and sixth stanzas where Handel makes the most of his new technique. When the music has excited the King into fighting his battles over and over again and bread a mad over confidence, Timotheous reduces him to humility and tears by recounting the fate of [Persian Emperor} Darius."

"A present deity," they shout around:
"A present deity," the vaulted roofs rebound.
With ravish'd ears
The monarch hears,
Assumes the god,
Affects to nod,
And seems to shake the spheres.

Bacchus' blessings are a treasure,
Drinking is the soldier's pleasure;
Rich the treasure,
Sweet the pleasure,
Sweet is pleasure after pain.
Sooth'd with the sound, the king grew vain;
Fought all his battles o'er again;
And thrice he routed all his foes; and thrice
he slew the slain.
The master saw the madness rise,
His glowing cheeks, his ardent eyes;
And, while he heav'n and earth defied,
Chang'd his hand, and check'd his pride.
He chose a mournful Muse,
Soft pity to infuse;
He sung Darius great and good,
By too severe a fate,
Fallen, fallen, fallen, fallen,
Fallen from his high estate,
And welt'ring in his blood;
Deserted, at his utmost need
By those his former bounty fed;
On the bare earth expos'd he lies,
With not a friend to close his eyes.

" ...Another stroke of genius is Handel's treatment of the famous line "Fallen, fallen, fallen, fallen... He contracts the word to a monosyllable (fall'n), repeats it at unpredictable intervals, both of time and pitch, over pedal notes and staccato violin ostinato, suggests the tragedy of Darius' fall in the harmony, and then varies all these components when the line is repeated by the chorus. It is a supreme example of music's power to enlarge a poetic idea."

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Phillip's includes an unusually large and well illustrated booklet.

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Donna Brown Soprano
Carolyn Watkinson Contralto
Ashly Stafford Countertenor
Nigel Robson Tenor
Stephen Varcoe Bass

Music Info: