English Romantic Poetry

Rating:
Summary: Buy it for Quayle's Wordsworth.
Review: Ralph Richardson was such a fine actor, how could he produce such a dreadful rendition of Coleridge and Blake? His 'Kubla Khan' sounds for all the world like a master of ceremonies at a boxing match -- 'And in the red corner, representing Xanadu...!' It's painful to listen to. He declaims and announces rather than recites. However -- and it is a big however -- Frederick Worlock's recitation of Burns and Anthony Quayle's Shelley and Wordsworth are superb. In particular, Quayle delivers Wordsworth with an insight and sensitivity that is truly remarkable. His is a carefully thought out and finely-honed performance. If these particular recordings are not available elsewhere (I have no idea if they are) then it's worth buying these tapes just for them. Worlock too is excellent, perfectly at home with Burns' dialect. But Quayle's performance is of the sort that takes you to another place.

Rating:
Summary: Buy it for Quayle's Wordsworth.
Review: Ralph Richardson was such a fine actor, how could he produce such a dreadful rendition of Coleridge and Blake? His 'Kubla Khan' sounds for all the world like a master of ceremonies at a boxing match -- 'And in the red corner, representing Xanadu...!' It's painful to listen to. He declaims and announces rather than recites. However -- and it is a big however -- Frederick Worlock's recitation of Burns and Anthony Quayle's Shelley and Wordsworth are superb. In particular, Quayle delivers Wordsworth with an insight and sensitivity that is truly remarkable. His is a carefully thought out and finely-honed performance. If these particular recordings are not available elsewhere (I have no idea if they are) then it's worth buying these tapes just for them. Worlock too is excellent, perfectly at home with Burns' dialect. But Quayle's performance is of the sort that takes you to another place.