Ten Plagues – A Song Cycle is the nineteenth solo studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. It was released by Strike Force Entertainment / Cherry Red Records on 7 July 2014.
Ten Plagues is a 2014 studio recording of the 2011 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Award-winning stage production of the same name.[1] The production was performed again at Wilton's Music Hall in 2013 and was well reviewed.[2]
The production is a song cycle duet for voice and piano and was written by Mark Ravenhill with music by Conor Mitchell. Almond wanted to work with Ravenhill after he saw the latter's Mother Clap's Molly House production, so he approached Ravenhill who wrote the Ten Plagues libretto in response.[3]
Ten Plagues is about the Great Plague of London of 1665 on one level but also acts as a metaphor for "the hysteria with which the public habitually greets all threats of mass infection, from swine flu to SARS" and alludes to the "first onrush of AIDS".[4]
The CD was released as a double digipak and came with a DVD of the live stage show filmed at Wilton's Music Hall.[5][6]
The studio recording was not as well reviewed as the live show and divided critics. The Financial Times review by Ludovic Hunter-Tilney finds the libretto "routine" and calls the piano score "atonal", summarising that "the results fall flat".[8] Neil Gardner of The Times liked it better, naming it "grimly fascinating" calling the piano score "barreling", whilst "versatile" Almond's vocals are "soaring".[7] David Sheppard writes in the Mojo review that "Almond tackles often tricky, convoluted melodies with great gusto" but closes by stating that accompanying live DVD "makes more sense".[10]
^"Another Fringe First for the Traverse". traverse.co.uk. 19 August 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
^Caroline Sulivan (26 April 2013). "Marc Almond/Ten Plagues – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
^Mark Fisher (18 July 2011). "Marc Almond: From bedsit to plague pit". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
^Nick Curtis (22 April 2013). "Tainted life: as his new operatic show Ten Plagues opens, Marc Almond is still surprising". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
^"Ten Plagues: A Song Cycle, (CD & DVD – SFE / Strike Force Entertainment #SFE 034D)". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
^"MARC ALMOND TO RELEASE CD/DVD EDITION OF 'TEN PLAGUES'". thisisnotretro.com. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
^ abNeil Gardner (5 July 2014). "Marc Almond: Ten Plagues – A Song Cycle". The Times. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
^ abLudovic Hunter-Tilney (4 July 2014). "Marc Almond: Ten Plagues – A Song Cycle". Financial Times. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
^Paul Scott-Bates (20 July 2014). "Marc Almond: Ten Plagues – album review". Louder Than War. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
plagues, song, cycle, nineteenth, solo, studio, album, british, singer, songwriter, marc, almond, released, strike, force, entertainment, cherry, records, july, 2014, studio, album, marc, almondreleased7, july, 2014recordeddean, street, studiosgenredark, cabar. Ten Plagues A Song Cycle is the nineteenth solo studio album by the British singer songwriter Marc Almond It was released by Strike Force Entertainment Cherry Red Records on 7 July 2014 Ten Plagues A Song CycleStudio album by Marc AlmondReleased7 July 2014RecordedDean Street StudiosGenreDark cabaret OperaLength56 17LabelStrike Force Entertainment Cherry Red RecordsProducerAusten Jux ChandlerMarc Almond chronologyThe Dancing Marquis 2014 Ten Plagues A Song Cycle 2014 The Velvet Trail 2015 Contents 1 Background 2 Critical reception 3 Track listing 4 Personnel 5 ReferencesBackground EditTen Plagues is a 2014 studio recording of the 2011 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Award winning stage production of the same name 1 The production was performed again at Wilton s Music Hall in 2013 and was well reviewed 2 The production is a song cycle duet for voice and piano and was written by Mark Ravenhill with music by Conor Mitchell Almond wanted to work with Ravenhill after he saw the latter s Mother Clap s Molly House production so he approached Ravenhill who wrote the Ten Plagues libretto in response 3 Ten Plagues is about the Great Plague of London of 1665 on one level but also acts as a metaphor for the hysteria with which the public habitually greets all threats of mass infection from swine flu to SARS and alludes to the first onrush of AIDS 4 The CD was released as a double digipak and came with a DVD of the live stage show filmed at Wilton s Music Hall 5 6 Critical reception EditProfessional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingThe Times 7 Financial Times 8 Louder Than War 9 Mojo 10 The studio recording was not as well reviewed as the live show and divided critics The Financial Times review by Ludovic Hunter Tilney finds the libretto routine and calls the piano score atonal summarising that the results fall flat 8 Neil Gardner of The Times liked it better naming it grimly fascinating calling the piano score barreling whilst versatile Almond s vocals are soaring 7 David Sheppard writes in the Mojo review that Almond tackles often tricky convoluted melodies with great gusto but closes by stating that accompanying live DVD makes more sense 10 Track listing EditLibretto by Mark Ravenhill music by Conor Mitchell Spring 1 44 A Comet 2 41 Without a Word 4 50 To Dream 2 55 Market 1 59 The Pit 3 44 Farewell 3 00 By Day 2 36 A New Law 1 52 Seeing You 5 34 The Wig 4 32 The Hermit 3 22 Grief 4 05 Quacker 2 57 Return 5 48 Ten Plagues Epilogue 4 38Personnel EditMarc Almond vocals Conor Mitchell pianoReferences Edit Another Fringe First for the Traverse traverse co uk 19 August 2011 Retrieved 10 April 2015 Caroline Sulivan 26 April 2013 Marc Almond Ten Plagues review The Guardian Retrieved 13 April 2015 Mark Fisher 18 July 2011 Marc Almond From bedsit to plague pit The Guardian Retrieved 8 April 2015 Nick Curtis 22 April 2013 Tainted life as his new operatic show Ten Plagues opens Marc Almond is still surprising London Evening Standard Retrieved 14 April 2015 Ten Plagues A Song Cycle CD amp DVD SFE Strike Force Entertainment SFE 034D AllMusic Retrieved 25 May 2015 MARC ALMOND TO RELEASE CD DVD EDITION OF TEN PLAGUES thisisnotretro com 23 June 2014 Retrieved 25 May 2015 a b Neil Gardner 5 July 2014 Marc Almond Ten Plagues A Song Cycle The Times Retrieved 13 April 2015 a b Ludovic Hunter Tilney 4 July 2014 Marc Almond Ten Plagues A Song Cycle Financial Times Retrieved 13 April 2015 Paul Scott Bates 20 July 2014 Marc Almond Ten Plagues album review Louder Than War Retrieved 13 April 2015 a b Sheppard David Filter Albums Mojo September 2014 93 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ten Plagues A Song Cycle amp oldid 1037827236, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
