It takes some hubris to suppose that you can even sweep through 600 years of British poetry and prose in a 5.3-hour cassette volume. The attempt has yielded a listenable and informative production. Yet, it is not up to the high standard of the publisher's other "History Of..." recordings. The narrative is inelegant and occasionally off the mark. There are lapses, as when the narrator mentions that a particular author admired a now obscure Italian, but neither tells us who this Italian is nor explains why he brought him up. Or when he says Jane Austen is the first woman author mentioned on the tape when Mary Shelley is. Speaking of Shelley, author of FRANKENSTEIN, one plus of this treatment is that science fiction is given its due, whereas it is frequently dismissed or not acknowledged at all. Excerpts from works cited are delivered with varying degrees of skill by several artists. But it is Derek Jacobi's amiable, precise, and lyrical narration, always fresh and committed, that gives the exercise distinction and renders it pleasurable. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

 

“Good work. An unpretentious 4-CD set, which delivers a comprehensive overview of the fourteen-plus centuries of classical music. Well-written by freelance writer and film director Richard Fawkes, it's a true Beginner's Guide which nevertheless offers a welcome refresher course to old classical hands as well. Read with freshness [and] good will by the British actor Robert Powell and illustrated with 150 musical examples, it's perfect for the car, Walkman, or laptop. And -- like everything Naxos does -- the price is right.”

 

“[A] fascinating and informative story. The text is illustrated by performances from some of the most highly praised recordings of recent years. Fawkes’ superb text is ably narrated by Robert Powell. Also highly recommended is Naxos AudioBooks edition of Fawkes’ The History of Opera.”

 

“Written directly for recording, this is a splendid overview of several centuries of Western classical music. The text is neatly divided into four parts. Early and twentieth-century music get equal time with the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods. No previous musical knowledge is assumed. The cultured tones of British actor Powell lead the listener from plain chant to atonality with added snippets of social history and composers' biographies along the way. Examples from Naxos's extensive archives of recorded performances complement the text far more effectively than would print equivalents. The enduring spirituality of music is stressed; and, indeed, as the notes of Arvo Pärt's beautiful, contemporary Cantus fade at the end, one feels uplifted--and educated.”

 

The History of English Literature by Perry Keenlyside
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