The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi everyone,

I've just digitised the first of my 16 recordings that are in this set. One of the more unusual record albums I own, I spotted it for sale on eBay and couldn't let it go. It's an early Linguaphone release with the actor John Gielgud reciting many Shakespearean monologues. I have put the first one on Youtube tonight, the rest will follow in the coming days. If you like Shakespeare and records then keep an eye out on my Youtube channel!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iw9lR1lZCo[/youtube]

I have these Gielgud record, too. My favorite is Gielgud's rendition of Hamlet's speech, "O, What a rogue and peasant slave am I ...!" One of most dramatic recording of it I have ever heard so far.

By the way, Gielgud was only 25 years old when he recorded this, which made him one of the youngest Hamlet ever recorded on a commercial recording.

Thank goodness we dont talk like that anymore

gramophoneshane wrote:Thank goodness we dont talk like that anymore

Haha but that accent is how you imagine the quintessential Shakespeare actor to sound, if anything I think it's a great accent, but you are right - it sounds like an old BBC newsreel, I am glad people don't talk like that all the time

I've just uploaded the latest updates to my website. On this St. George's Day, the anniversary of Shakespeare's death and possibly birth) there are several Shakespeare recordings: one with pupils from the Guildhall School of Music (a record which was entertainingly demolished in a Gramophone review), another with Basil Maine, and two sets of Linguaphone records of John Gielgud (the first, around 1930, has already been available on my site, and has been shared on Youtube by another user earlier in this thread, the second probably dates from the mid 1950s, and has only a few overlaps with the earlier set.)

http://www.damians78s.co.uk/html/curren ... 2011-04-23

Damian R

Damian wrote:I've just uploaded the latest updates to my website.....
Damian R

Egads. How did I not know of your site, before today? I'm burning up the DSL, downloading madly! THANKS !!