Macbeth

MACBETH has a cursed history. A disturbingly large number of actors have been maimed, mugged, and even murdered while performing it–so experiencing it safely via CD is perhaps prudent. This recording is everything one has come to expect from the Arkangel Shakespeare series–solid performances and suitably Scottish voices–but offers little in the way of fresh interpretation. Still, the famous scenes are memorable–from the drama of Lady Macbeth’s guilty sleepwalking to the low comedy of the drunken porter at the gates of hell–and remind the listener that even a conventional Macbeth succeeds if it is well acted. D.B. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine