Othello (Classic Literature with Classical Music) [Audiobook] [Audio CD]

William Shakespeare (Author), Anton Lessor (Performer), Emma Fielding (Performer)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 9626342064 | ISBN-13: 978-9626342060 | Publication Date: October 2000

From love and passion, nobility and purity to deception, tragedy and murder, this widely studied play is one of the best sellers of the Shakespearean canon.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Shakespeare's legendary tragedy is revisited in this spirited and entertaining production that ran in London from November 2007 to February 2008. The flawless, talented cast features Ewan McGregor as the conniving Iago, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Othello (whose performance won him the Olivier Award as best actor) and Kelly Reilly as Desdemona. There is also excellent support from Tom Hiddleston (as Cassio) and Michelle Fairley (as Emilia). This audio production is a rousing, theatrical performance expertly guided by director Michael Grandage. Complete with a musical score as well as full sound effects and background noises, listening is so enjoyable that the play speeds by at breakneck pace. An enclosed booklet contains color photographs of the production and a well-written essay by drama professor Russell Jackson. There's also an entertaining bonus DVD disc featuring interviews with the cast and crew. Brilliantly produced in all departments, listening is the next best thing to seeing it live. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up-Naxos AudioBooks' top-drawer Classic Drama Series blissfully continues with this exquisite rendition of Othello starring Hugh Quarshie, Anton Lesser, Emma Fielding, and a full cast of professional English actors with extensive credits in the Royal National Theatre, BBC Radio Drama Company, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Shakespeare's most domestic tragedy is an exceedingly complex journey through jealousy, self-doubt, inadequacies, and societal acceptance. Passed over for military promotion, Iago, perhaps Shakespeare's most nefarious character, manipulates Othello's downfall, culminating in the murder of his beloved wife, Desdemona, and Othello's subsequent suicide. Under David Timson's stewardship as director, the story is beautifully and simply told, embellished only with intermittent brassy flourishes of classical music and a dramatic echo effect and throbbing heart beat to underscore Othello's chaotic descent and rage. While the entire cast is excellent, the trio of Quarshie (Othello), Lesser (Iago), and Fielding (Desdemona) are outstanding. An outline of each individual cassette, complete synopsis, full notes regarding the text, and cast biographies are included in a compact 24-page supplemental booklet. For all collections.
Barry X. Miller, Austin Public Library, TX
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio CD: 3 pages
• Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9626342064
• ISBN-13: 978-9626342060
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 4.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,637,337 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #66 in Books > Books on CD > Authors, A-Z > ( S ) > Shakespeare, William

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful new edition of Othello, July 31, 2006

By 

Joanne Diaz (Chicago IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Othello (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

This edition will be a boon for any instructor or advanced student who wants the usual Oxford treatment--extensive, thorough footnotes; wonderful appendices about music and performance; an excellent introduction that could stand alone as its own book; and well-chosen illustrations and photographs from performances throughout history.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shake's Alive!, October 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Othello : Complete and Unabridged (Paperback)

"Othello" is one of my favorite Shakespearean plays, but even the best of things could use a little updating once in a while. That's why I was so excited when I found out about the comic book version. It is the play, the whole play, and nothing but the play, made easier for the layman to understand with interesting contemporary art.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars othello classic books on cassette, May 13, 2007

By 

Pamela Booth "engl tchr" (so calif) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Othello (Classic Books on Cassettes Collection) [UNABRIDGED] (Classic Books on Casettes) (Audio Cassette)

The reading is very monotonous as the reader says the names of each part before the part is read. It drives my students as well as myself crazy. We get through the reading faster by just reading the parts ourselves. I was very disappointed with the purchase.