http://salonmedia.vo.llnwd.net/o1/mp3s/eliot1.mp3
(brief ad to start)
What do you think? To me this is like almost all recordings of great poets reading their work aloud: crap! He misses entirely the natural beats of his own poem! How does he make of the splendid English cadences of Prufrock this awful strange incantation? Drone, drone. Shame on you, T.S.!
Then again what do I expect? Is it like asking a dramatist to act? Still, you hope for better. Most composers can play their own music.
Eliot reads Prufrock
I see (hear) what you mean - that practiced ultra-cultured public school/BBC accent doesn't help either - It was like a recording of Neville Chamberlain declaring war.
....end consequentleh this cantry is et war with Garmeny.
Why is there no U sound in BBC English? Cut is cat, but is bat, bus, is bas, etc - the only time I've ever heard a real U sound on the BBC (and this is true), was when they reported the re-introduction of the Great Bustard to Scotland.
....end consequentleh this cantry is et war with Garmeny.
Why is there no U sound in BBC English? Cut is cat, but is bat, bus, is bas, etc - the only time I've ever heard a real U sound on the BBC (and this is true), was when they reported the re-introduction of the Great Bustard to Scotland.
I think the accent's OK. Of course it sounds a bit silly, but there's nothing all that wrong with RP by itself. It's of its time and almost dead now - you rarely hear it on the Beeb anymore. It's regional accents a-go-go these days.
I mean, I expect Eliot to use RP - that's the sort of man he was. But he puts all these unnatural stresses in, and the whole thing is such a drone. It's not human - people listening to that would think he was on serious downers, in some kind of trance, or auditioning for Kraftwerk or something. Talk about sucking the life out of a poem, and a poem so full of life at that.
Re: the lack of a U in RP - I dunno. Every accent's funny except your own, though, eh? Well, I think so.
I mean, I expect Eliot to use RP - that's the sort of man he was. But he puts all these unnatural stresses in, and the whole thing is such a drone. It's not human - people listening to that would think he was on serious downers, in some kind of trance, or auditioning for Kraftwerk or something. Talk about sucking the life out of a poem, and a poem so full of life at that.
Re: the lack of a U in RP - I dunno. Every accent's funny except your own, though, eh? Well, I think so.
fine words butter no parsnips
All the BBC main newsreaders speak with cultured accents, it seems to have been making a comeback for a while now. They seem to be putting extra stress on their vowels and endings again - trying to outposh each other, if you like. The presenter on BBC North West regional news is a case in point. He used to host a quiz show in the eighties which has recently been repeated - you should hear the difference. Sometimes he slips up with the odd word.
I just find it a little sad that's all - we must be the only country in the world where some people use a false accent as some sort of status symbol.
Shakespeare would have had a Midlands accent, yet all the actors who play the major parts in his plays use cultured accents - the 'peasants', of course, use regional accents.
If you ever get chance, listen to a BBC weatherman called Dan Corbett - you'll see what I mean then.
Toodle pip, old boy - tally-ho.
Lord Charles
I just find it a little sad that's all - we must be the only country in the world where some people use a false accent as some sort of status symbol.
Shakespeare would have had a Midlands accent, yet all the actors who play the major parts in his plays use cultured accents - the 'peasants', of course, use regional accents.
If you ever get chance, listen to a BBC weatherman called Dan Corbett - you'll see what I mean then.
Toodle pip, old boy - tally-ho.
Lord Charles
Interesting. Here's an apposite recent article by James Fenton: http://books.guardian.co.uk/poetry/feat ... 23,00.html
I know what he means about annoying tricks of the actor's voice - they are essentially why, although I like reading Shakespeare, I find it very hard to listen to radio productions of the plays. Recently saw the Ian McKellen Richard III film, though - very good.
I know what he means about annoying tricks of the actor's voice - they are essentially why, although I like reading Shakespeare, I find it very hard to listen to radio productions of the plays. Recently saw the Ian McKellen Richard III film, though - very good.
Barrie - you mean Gordon Burns? I followed his career right through to the news gig (before I left) and he was always a prize arse (the Krypton Factor was a good show though).
To be fair I've imbibed very little beeb in the last four years, and it's sad if they're using RP again. Still, at least it's a change from the estuary mockney or other ostentatious regionalisms so popular on the commercial channels. RP isn't the only Englsih accent being feinged in the UK today - remember Blair's faux glo'l stop?
David - very interesting link. I absolutely agree that "We [poets] may become emotional, but not to the extent of - say - slobbering and weeping and wiping our noses on our sleeves." But the same applies to any performer - there must always be a conscious distance between the speaker and listener, or what you have is narcissism. One of Fenton's comments on Auden seems silly to me - so what if his voice was "very much Auden"? It should have been very much the poems. I think Eliot's voice is very much Eliot - but he's not reading his autobiography, is he?
To be fair I've imbibed very little beeb in the last four years, and it's sad if they're using RP again. Still, at least it's a change from the estuary mockney or other ostentatious regionalisms so popular on the commercial channels. RP isn't the only Englsih accent being feinged in the UK today - remember Blair's faux glo'l stop?
David - very interesting link. I absolutely agree that "We [poets] may become emotional, but not to the extent of - say - slobbering and weeping and wiping our noses on our sleeves." But the same applies to any performer - there must always be a conscious distance between the speaker and listener, or what you have is narcissism. One of Fenton's comments on Auden seems silly to me - so what if his voice was "very much Auden"? It should have been very much the poems. I think Eliot's voice is very much Eliot - but he's not reading his autobiography, is he?
fine words butter no parsnips
-
twelveoone
- Productive Poster
- Posts: 85
- Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2005 11:44 pm
Ah, but he was an American (and irreverent) when he wrote it. He was British (and reverent) when he recorded it. I couldn't listen to it. Destroyed.
I expect to hear that voice in "Four quartets".
I expect to hear that voice in "Four quartets".
I think that hits the nail on the head.twelveoone wrote:Ah, but he was an American (and irreverent) when he wrote it. He was British (and reverent) when he recorded it. I couldn't listen to it. Destroyed.
I expect to hear that voice in "Four quartets".
fine words butter no parsnips
