It's not what you do,

It's the way that you do it:




Before the vultures start picking - I know it ain't totally accurate - I can hear a couple of sounds that shouldn't be there, and the whole process of 'reconstruction' is speculative ... blah, blah, blah.


What I think is exciting is the difference attempting the original sounds makes - this suddenly becomes a much better poem. It is good fun to say.

I can see why it was included in the original collection - and even why Shakespeare might have had a fondness for it.

Performing it this way I felt like I was close to the young man who wrote it - and there is a sincerity to it that gets lost with 'posh-Shakespeare'.

I can also see the dramatic poet here - much more than the lyric one.


Technorati Tags: Shakespeare, Shakespeare Sonnet, Sonnet 145

On Sonnet (the first) 145:

To Ann, a wyff of StratFord

Throu the Avon

By the time I’ve done with this little poem, I’ll have recorded it three times – one, the first (already in the public domain) - expresses, I think, my true feelings for it as a work and it’s potential place in the ‘Canon’. The second I’ll attempt as an authentic pronunciation performance – something I noticed when playing around with the text is a distinctly different feel when the sounds are said in a sort of re-constructed pronunciation … I am not claiming it is right – treat it more as an archaeological experiment than authentic (and I’ve something to say on that issue over on my music review blog, pretty soon). The final is a straight reading – well, sort of, complete with introduction and after-word – that’s the ‘Introduction to the Sonnets for no-lifers’ performance. All will be You-Tubed in the ever fleeting chase after fame and fortune.

Gurr’s argument for this being an early poem (and consequently the first thing we have of Shakespeare’s writing) I find quite convincing … Greer (bbke) doubts, but nods in the direction of possibility and makes a very interesting observation … if this is written for Ann – then other sonnets were most likely also.

I have to admit that I rarely read ‘Let me not to the marriage of true minds …’ without thinking it was for her – separated, rarely seeing each other, married – and producing, what 8 (?) children: Love does not ‘bend with the remover to remove’; ‘it IS an ever fixed mark’; it’s ‘not times fool’.

Sonnet 145 is a rough teenagers attempt to capture this ‘true’ mind – Ann. To accept that, we have to dump hundreds of years of misogyny and presumption: We also have to accept a review of the concept of genius – of what this genius saw as a domestic ideal - marriage as the base and foundation of contentment and as a real passage to salvation: Marriage is a source of the deepest peace man can find on earth.

I find this a fascinating idea – especially as I’ll soon be moving on to two ‘comedies’ which deal with these subjects.

Another thing that has been washing around in my head is Brook’s little talk.

Shakespeare’s value lies partly in his ability to turn out poetry – and this poem really isn’t very good poetry – but it does have something about it.

Are we here seeing the moment when Shakespeare first connected his natural gifts to experience?

And a final thought – if Shakespeare is such a good portrayer of character – and he is (remember his is stage writing) – he must have understood people fairly well – why then marry Ann? Why, if this is about her, pursue her this way, why keep and include the text many years later in the published collection of sonnets (shut up – I know all about the ‘was he involved’ arguments over the printing)?

Whatever Ann Hataway was, this touching little attempt, if for and to her, is a clue to a very different Shaksper to the one male piggery and the combined-Bardolatories is fond of exhibiting.

A note of caution ...

...for all potential bloggers - the world is full of can't-see-the-wood-for-the-trees idiots all too willing to criticise your insights and efforts without either understanding or even bothering to read what you write and do.

There is a classic case over on Shakespeare Geek at the moment.

The little 'tongue in cheek', 'over the top' performance of Sonnet 145 I did as a birthday present and as a start to my Odyssey through the complete works attracted an 'I can't stand ....' comment: No surprise.

Well - if the person had actually watched the images and thought about them [if capable of recognising them, their sources, their significance ... etc], had read this blog and noticed what I said about Greensleeves (and realised the choice was carefully made), if listened to my other performances on You Tube of two more famous sonnets, and noticed this was somewhat odd compared to them ... read the Greer (bbke) reference I gave (where the sainted Ms is distincly ambiguous to the claim of this being what is claimed); if checked the Gurr paper I quote below and re-referenced, then maybe, just a very big, maybe ....

Well, this is my blog and I'll cry if I want to!

Dramatic I run from me.


Technorati Tags: Shakespeare, Sonnets, Idiocy

This falls out better than I could devise

(or Serendipity 2)

I've already mentioned that I am starting the 'Complete Works' Odyssey on St George's Day - reputedly Shakespeare's Birth-Day and Death-Day.
I was wondering how to start - it surely needs something special? I'd got a couple of ideas, including digging out a statue of St George in the centre of Timisoara (and puzzling about what to do with it).

Well - job sorted!

I've been asked to do another, "Shakespeare Thing" (in fact, the question, "You know April the twenty third?" was asked! - Not so subtle my bosses.)

So - Shakespeare - from first to last, is in preparation.

I'm going to start - for gratifications of my own - with a performance of what I wish to believe is Shakespeare's first extant piece: and his last.

I suspect Mrs Shakespeare is going to feature heavily - in Ms Greer's (bbke) version - as fits.

And, on England's national day, some of the more patriotic bombast has to be given full throat.

Hopefully some of that will get released in video format for all to endure.


Technorati Tags: Shakespeare, Complete Works, Timisoara, Romania