Be Thou Now Persuaded: Living in a Shakespearean World

• Artist: Various Artists
• Release Date: July 20, 1999
• Total Time: 435:23
• Type: Collection (various artists)
• Genre: Spoken Word

Review

It's more or less accepted that Shakespeare is the greatest writer in English, but this large box set shows he was a really a musician of language.. The speeches and scenes spread over the course of 6 CDs, carefully arranged to cover themes of love, wonder, humanity and death, play like brief symphonic passages. Indeed, in the hands of actors like Richard Burton, Brian Murray, Vanessa Redgrave and Orson Welles, the material truly sings. While some may find the editing a bit choppy, slicing passages to their best known parts, the goal is clearly to celebrate the wisdom and art of the Bard. While the context of some of the passages may be a bit foggy to a first-time listener, the final two disc offer an entire performance of Romeo and Juliet with Claire Bloom and Albert Finney. ~ Tim Sheridan, Rovi

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