Aeschylus. The Oresteia.

AESCHYLUS. The Oresteia. Performed by the Hollywood Theater of the Ear. 4 cds. 3.5 hrs. Blackstone Audio. 2006.0-7861-69087. $36.00. Vinyl; plot, author notes. SA

The Oresteia, the only classical Greek tragedy to survive extant, consists of three plays. In the first, King Agamemnon returns from the Trojan War and is summarily killed by his unfaithful spouse. In the second, Prince Orestes avenges his father's death by killing his mother. Finally, Orestes is tried for matricide, the result of which brings to an end the multigenerational curse upon his house. In their day, these poetic, highly stylized tragedies were chanted rather than acted, the dialogue being specific and emotional enough to fill in gaps occasioned by the lack of props, setting and physical action. Thus, they work particularly well in audio format. This production makes the most of modern technology to create haunting choral effects. The individual actors are all well cast, and their performances are evenly balanced. The ancient Greeks knew the plot of The Oresteia well; contemporary audiences do not. They would benefit from reading background notes that explain the grisly and tragic history of the House of Atreus before listening to this audiobook. These, unfortunately, are not provided. A short segment from The Odyssey follows as a related companion piece. Francine Levitov, Attorney, New York, NY

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.