LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT

This fine recording, directed by Arvin Brown, was a Grammy nominee when it first appeared on four cassettes in 1971. Long out of print, it has now been digitally remastered and reissued on compact disc. O’Neill’s autobiographical play, the greatest American drama in the opinion of many, explores the fragile lies that both hold together and threaten a family. The principles must convey the bluster and the tragic vulnerability of the haunted Tyrones, traits brought out superbly by these performers. (The text is the uncorrected pre-1989 version, which lacks a dozen or so lines dropped by O’Neill’s widow in typing the manuscript.) Fans of drama on audio will eagerly await further titles from Caedmon’s archive. G.H. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 01]