Audiobook Sample
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- Title: Twelfth Night
- Author: William Shakespeare
- Narrator: Various Readers
- Length: 02:02:00
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 01/01/2011
- Publisher: Speak the Speech
- Genre: Drama, Shakespeare
- ISBN13: SABFAB9780692
As I settled into my favorite armchair with a cup of jasmine tea – the same one I used during my graduate seminars at Harvard – I pressed play on this full-cast audio performance of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”. Immediately, I was transported back to my first encounter with this play during a summer theater program in Kyoto, where a Japanese kabuki adaptation made me see Viola’s gender-bending performance in startlingly new ways. This audiobook version rekindled that sense of cross-cultural discovery.
The ensemble cast brings remarkable clarity to Shakespeare’s complex wordplay. What fascinates me most is how the different voices highlight the play’s thematic tensions – the actor playing Malvolio delivers his lines with just the right balance of pomposity and pathos, making his eventual humiliation both comic and cringe-worthy. The vocal distinction between Viola’s ‘Cesario’ voice and her true voice creates an audible representation of her dual identity that I found more effective than many staged productions I’ve seen.
Through a cultural lens, this performance particularly illuminates the East-West connections I’ve studied throughout my career. The play’s exploration of identity performance resonates strongly with traditional Asian theater forms like Beijing opera’s female impersonators. Listening to Olivia’s growing infatuation with Cesario, I recalled my research into how gender disguise operates differently across theatrical traditions – where Western theater often uses it for comic effect, Eastern traditions frequently employ it for spiritual transcendence.
The audio format surprisingly enhances certain thematic elements. When Orsino speaks of music being ‘the food of love,’ the absence of visual stimuli makes us focus entirely on the musicality of the language itself. This reminded me of teaching “Twelfth Night” to my Berkeley students – we would often close our eyes during key scenes to appreciate the pure auditory experience of Shakespeare’s verse.
Some limitations emerge in the audio-only format. The rapid switches between Viola and Sebastian in the final scenes can be momentarily confusing without visual cues. However, the cast compensates admirably with distinct vocal characterizations. The production wisely uses subtle sound effects – lapping waves during shipwreck references, faint music during revels – that enhance rather than overwhelm the text.
Compared to other Shakespeare audio productions, this stands out for its balanced approach. It avoids the over-dramatization that plagues some recordings, yet brings more vitality than dry academic readings. The performance finds that sweet spot I always seek in my literature courses – maintaining scholarly integrity while delivering visceral enjoyment.
For listeners new to Shakespeare, this accessible production makes an excellent starting point. For seasoned scholars like myself, it offers fresh interpretations – I found myself re-evaluating Feste’s role after hearing the nuanced melancholy in this performance. The free availability makes it particularly valuable for educators seeking quality audio resources.
As someone who has studied cross-dressing narratives from “The Tale of Genji” to modern manga, I was struck by how contemporary this 400-year-old play feels. The themes of fluid identity and performed gender seem especially relevant in our current cultural moment. This audio version, with its emphasis on vocal transformation, highlights these aspects beautifully.
In scholarly appreciation and shared love of the spoken word,
Prof. Emily Chen
