Customer Reviews

The Tragedy Of Antony And Cleopatra

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

 

 

Shakespeare, as ever, is brilliant, and this version of Antony and Cleopatra is reasonably acted. However, be forwarned, that in spite of the misleading claims on the packaging of these cassettes, labeling them an "unabridged classic", this is actually a significantly ABRIDGED version of the play. "Unabridged" here apparently means they have not shortened the production by the Canadian Broadcasting Company that is presented on the cassettes. This version of the play is also "adapted for audio" by speaking stage directions in a number of places, or making other changes in the text so the listener without a transcript can better know what is going on. Some may find this useful, but Shakespeare purists will definitely want to look elsewhere for a recording of this play.

This cassette version of Shakespeare's play about two strong-willed individuals whose passion for each other leads to their downfall is magnificently done. Anthony Quayle, who does a hilarious Falstaff on other recordings in the Caedemon series, plays a heroic but flawed Antony who is all too aware of his captivity to Cleopatra, and yet unable to break free of her. Pamela Brown is equally fine as the imperious, manipulative Cleopatra. The rest of the cast is similarly superb, especially Jack Gwillim as Enobarbus. The recording, originally made in 1963, receives an excellent remastering in this cassette reissue; the sound quality is fantastic.

This performance is billed as abridged but is infinitely more complete than the one amazon labels unabridged. To the extent that any of the Caedmon performances differ from whatever text you have in front of you, they are merely adhering to one editorial reading than another--several times I have listened to a Shakespeare Recording Society production and heard passages not printed in my complete edition of Shakespeare (Riverside). I have never been disappointed in either the quality of the text or performance in a Caedmon recording (or Arkangel for that matter). The main shortcoming of the Caedmon series is in the audio quality and if you can make allowances for that, you will find in these an excellent perspective on Shakespeare's art.

We all know the play. Everyone's read it, at least parts in school. But not everyone gets to read an edition so well edited, so finely crafted by such an editorial craftsman as Adam Frost. Were it not for the Frostian touch, Shakespeare in this play might just seem like another hack Elizabethan dramatist. But here, the words sing and soar. Frost has the ability to dramatize page numbers and italic type. Of whom else can one say, "That is the most perfectly placed editorial thought I've ever encountered? What a pleasure!" I heartily recommend this superbly edited volume.

Not one of Shakespeare's more memorable works, there are some pluses to this play and relatively few minuses, but neither the pluses nor the minuses are anything that stands out. It is nice to have yet another play told in Shakespeare's beautiful language, and enjoyable to see a love story that centers on people old enough to no longer be in the first blush of youth, even if they ARE still young enough to be beautiful and virile. On the other hand, I'd have liked to see these more mature lovers BEHAVING somewhat more maturely, instead of being just as frivolous, headstrong, and foolish as the kids in "Romeo And Juliet", and there really aren't any lines from this play that come immediately to mind as having entered the "Quotes Hall Of Fame", as so many lines from Shakespeare's plays have. Nothing on the order of "A horse! My Kingdom for a horse!" or "Alas, poor Yorick; I knew him well." or "To be or not to be, that is the question", or so many others.

If you enjoy Shakespearean plays, you'll probably enjoy this one. But there's no real reason for anyone but a completist to read this.

Do not buy this if you want this to listen to in the car. The actors in this work are not identified as to which characters they are. Imagine trying to read this play with all of the names of the characters removed and that is what listening to this tape is like. The sound quality is also the worst. And cleopatra over-acts. Dreadful.