Rare Orson Welles Mercury Theatre Shakespeare productions

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261570786124

Rare 4-volume set of Orson Welles' historic Mercury Theatre radio productions, on 7 CDs:

• Macbeth (GEM 0011)
• Julius Caesar (GEMS 0015 - 2 CD set)
• Twelfth Night (GEMS 0020 - 2 CD set)
• The Merchant of Venice (GEMS 0029 - 2 CD set)

Orson Welles was already a household name by the time these Mercury Theatre projects -- the first ever recorded full-length Shakespeare plays -- contributed to making him one of the immortal voices of radio and other media. At the time of these performances (recorded between 1938 and 1940), Welles was electrifying Broadway, radio, and the New York theatre community. He often condensed and rearranged, and used technical innovations to enhance the impact of these classic dramas. His productions were startling: They carry power and conviction even today, and have become classics of spoken word recording.

These discs, pressed in the late 1990s by the "Pearl Plays & Poets" branch of England's Pavilion Records company, are extremely hard to find, particularly in this like-new condition. Each set contains a booklet with an explanatory essay and details about each recording, cast, and production. Please see the auction link for photos of the actual items for sale.

 

Just realized that Bernard Herrmann (Academy Award-winning composer best known for his work with Hitchcock) composed and conducted the music for this version of "Macbeth."