Seven Classic Plays
Sintesi dell'editore
These are not mere readings. Rather, they are full performances using all the resources of audio to full advantage. Just as stage plays are "opened up" when adapted to film, so these selections create greater intimacy. "Staginess" is avoided, lively theatrics enhanced, while the substance of the works remains intact. For instance, in Arms and the Man, audio makes possible the judicious integration of the author's witty scene settings, written for the published version of the play, with the play itself. This is the play that established Shaw's reputation as one of the greatest wits of the London drama scene.
Music accounts for another noteworthy aspect of these productions. The Imaginary Invalid employs the score that Marc-Antoine Charpentier composed for Moliere's own premiere. It is conducted by Steven Ovitsky, artistic director of the Milwaukee Symphony.
The Tempest, composed by Shakespeare as a multi-sensory theater experience, features music on Elizabethan instruments still extant from Shakespeare's own production, resulting in lyrical textual passages, overflowing with exotic images, tantalizing sounds, and a palpable lushness.
"Director Yuri Rasovsky and his cast convey with sensitivity the many dimensions of these people... A beautifully paced performance." (AudioFile)
Altri titoli dello stesso
Narratore
Cosa ne pensano gli iscritti
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Generale1 out of 5 stars
- Guy in Central FL
- 06/05/2006
Badly Done Plays
Please save your money and pass on this collection of plays. None are done very well and the production of Medea is particularly bad. When the director chooses to set the Chorus to music, he/she must emphasize diction and musical quality. Sadly, the director failed on both counts. The chanting is incomprehensible and the music is cheesy. It's hard to wreck Medea but the director succeeded admirably.
As to the rest: The Ibsen is weak and the Shaw is boring. The productions were produced in 1985. Perhaps 20 years of a renewed interest in audio literature require more sophisticated productions or, perhaps, these productions, produced under the auspices of the Hollywood Theater of the Ear, are simply the product of a consistently bad director.
49 people found this helpful
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Generale4 out of 5 stars
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Lettura5 out of 5 stars
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Storia4 out of 5 stars
- Dacia
- 15/05/2012
Well Done Plays
I thought these plays were well done and entertaining. The production quality seemed fine to me. I especially enjoyed Medea, the Tempest, and Camille. The other ones were hard for me to get into, but that's just personal taste. If you want to be entertained and enjoy several classic plays, then this is a good deal for the price.
6 people found this helpful
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Generale2 out of 5 stars
- FDLeyda
- 22/12/2017
No index to say where each play begins or ends.
Hard to know which plays are on it. he part that I heard was not a play I would go to. Poor production values.
3 people found this helpful
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Generale3 out of 5 stars
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Lettura2 out of 5 stars
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Storia5 out of 5 stars
- Michael
- 18/12/2012
Not Great Audible Theater
Although this is not a bad recording of several good plays, it was far from one of my favorite compilations. From the publisher’s summary they were attempting to produce “lively theatrics enhanced” performances. Hum. For me most of these plays seemed significantly overdone. My favorite of these plays was An Enemy of the People which was pretty good. Still overacted, this play survived the overacting pretty well. Medea was my least favorite. It seemed wildly over acted and did not resonate emotionally at all. The Tempest and Camille were OK, but far from stellar. I found The Imaginary Invalid and Uncle Vanya pretty boring. I had just heard Arms and the Man from the LA Theater Works (LATW) Shaw Collection, and this version blanched in comparison. It did not even seem like the same play. The LATW version was snappy, lively, and witty. This version fell completely flat.
6 people found this helpful
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Generale5 out of 5 stars
- Andrew J.
- 30/09/2007
Drama queen!
Great slice of drama, presented chronologically and in well-executed dramatizations. F. Murray Abraham is not to be missed.
5 people found this helpful
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Generale5 out of 5 stars
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Lettura5 out of 5 stars
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Storia5 out of 5 stars
- amateco
- 13/12/2015
great production
Would you listen to Seven Classic Plays again? Why?
Yes , it was great, good performed and the variety of uthors
What was one of the most memorable moments of Seven Classic Plays?
The Enemy of People .Uncle Vanya. The Tempest
Have you listened to any of Full Cast’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
no, it's the first, now I'm listening to another but I cant compare it now
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
In Uncle Vanya when he refers to cut down trees to burn, it is a very present theme because of the COP21 in France
Any additional comments?
a nice company to have a walk and enjoy good plays
1 person found this helpful
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Generale5 out of 5 stars
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Lettura5 out of 5 stars
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Storia5 out of 5 stars
- Zeus Baba
- 09/09/2015
mesmerising!
Immortal plays are performed with a mesmerising mastery!
read, listen, be inspired, dream, write, share!
1 person found this helpful
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Generale5 out of 5 stars
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Lettura5 out of 5 stars
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Storia5 out of 5 stars
- Highlight
- 18/01/2013
Enjoyable Old Fashioned Theatre
Made a nice change to listen to 8 hours of pure old fashioned magic from past centuries when sex & vampires were not thrown down your throat as the latest offer for the next 30 years.
4 people found this helpful