Customer Reviews

Macbeth

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Without a doubt, this is the worst audio book I have ever heard. One of the things we take for granted in any movie, radio broadcast, or audio book is that we will be able to hear what the actors are saying. Not so with this disastrous recording of Macbeth.

The players in this production, demonstrating the worst kind of over-acting, spend half the time shouting at the top of their lungs, and half the time whispering so softly you can't hear them. Worse yet, they alternate between the two, for no apparent reason, constantly. The audio engineers, who could have rescued us from this tragedy, chose to do nothing. You will spend the entire duration of this play with your hand on the volume control. Yet you will be unable to hear most of what is said. You will spin the volume up and up in utter frustration, only to be nearly deafened by the next bout of bellowing.

These comments are based on the Harper Audio CD, introduction by Harold Bloom. Hopefully, these criticisms will not apply to other recordings of this superb play, although Amazon may show these comments on the page next to other recordings.

This is the best of the Macbeth audio recordings that I've ever heard. Since I teach this play twice a year for the past twenty years, I've had the opportunity to pretty much hear them all, and I don't think any of the others compare. In fact, all of the Caedmon audio Shakespeare series are excellent, even the more obscure plays. (You should listen to the Caedmon recording of Coriolanus with Richard Burton, Jessica Tandy and Michael Hordern!) If you're looking for an audio Macbeth, this is the one.

I have 35 years of experience teaching high school English, and I have found this to be the best unabridged recording of the play.

The Cd begins with the powerful witches scene-great music-definitely causing my students to sit-up and listen.