MACBETH

This dramatization is strongest at the strangest and most intense moments of this great tragedy. When Macbeth meets the weird sisters, when Lady Macbeth reveals her soul in a monologue, or when the forces clash in battle, this dramatization is hypnotic. The performances are first rate, and the sound quality is varied and nicely layered; each character speaks in a different cadence, with some difference in accent, and multiple background sound effects (a horn, the wind) combine to suggest a lively world without obscuring the core dialogue. However, the more mundane moments--the planning, the consideration--are harder to follow, and harder to care about, with no actors to watch. G.T.B. [Selection from The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare set.] (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 04]