THE GREAT POETS: WALT WHITMAN Selections

The Naxos Great Poets series has finally gotten around to Whitman, and Garrick Hagon's readings are worth the wait. He is declamatory at some points, soft and tender at others, and almost always rhapsodic. If you're not familiar with Whitman's poetry, this selection is an excellent introduction. It includes some of Whitman's most renowned works (such as "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry," "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking," and "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed") and a couple that may be less familiar ("Beat! Beat! Drums!" for example). Hagon doesn't try to imitate the one (disputed) recording we have of Whitman's voice; instead he gives us the voice that Whitman should have had. D.M.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2016]