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