I was scratching my head thinking "One of those chorus guys sounds like Baldrick from the Blackadder series." I thought it was a funny coincidence, and then I saw Tony Robinson's name in the credits! Hah!
+Steven Petarra +Swairard Swairardov as you may know, this is an ancient tradition in anglo-saxon verse -- you find it already in BEOWULF for example -- and i am sure tony harrison was consciously harking back to that tradition. trying to make his adaptation 'fit' comfortably in english.
I'm taking a chorus in Ancient Greek history in college this year and found this absolute gem. Thank you for putting it on the way it was written to be viewed. Incredible performances across the board!!!
This is first time I have had the privilege to see a live version. Every second year, I take this mountaineering with me. Thank you for the upload. On the counsel of those below, I shall look for other versions too! I have enjoyed this immeasurably. Burnett in Cork, Ireland
I had a hard time understanding Agamemnon when I first read it but watching this has made everything so clear, And I can now fully enjoy the Agamemnon experience! Thank You
Love it. My favourite oresteia. I have seen two in modern greek and its superior. with respect to the text. it seems to be very close to the ancient drama. clytemnystra is MARVELOUS.
Get 'The Oresteia' by Ted Hughes published by Faber and Faber - you won't be disappointed. It is fucking awesome. In case you don't know he's one of the greatest English poets of the last 2 or 3 hundred years and he basically rewrites the thing, adapting it, so you get the combined work of 2 geniuses. Like I say, it's awesome.
I thought the chorus were particularly good in a great convincing production - and the music made it as well. "the thing they raised in their house was blessed by god to be priest of destruction" of Paris l 735-6 So many great lines though!
Its an attempt at demonstrating why Greek civilization collapsed. Shelley in particular emphasized the importance of poets as legislators in how they educated the people.
This is a pretty cool depiction, but I enjoy reading the play much more. Also I feel like I need to be on drugs because its just...so damn weird (in an artistic way of course). But I would also probably flip my shit because of their masks.
Aeschylus' Greek is quite challenging, would require a lot of effort just to understand, let alone appreciate and delve into. But once you are there, nothing can compare.
Tony Harrison made it a condition of performance that it be masked and have an all male cast. We staged the Oresteia when I was a student in the late 80s. We would have loved to be able to use this translation but we struggled to cast the male roles as it was.
@Tindel10 Reading beforehand will help. Tragedy has been one of the more important methods of education in history, statecraft, and human nature by poets. Plus, it'll help you fight the stupid culture we live in.
Agamemnonsounds like Jim Carter, now a famous actor for Downton Abbey, a feelgood show for POSH people. But here he's sounding fucking great! Watch out, Jim! She's got a spear!
I have to perform a scene from this for my acting class.....I thought it was going to be difficult to memorize. and I was right! seeing as these guys dont even follow the exact dialogue as written.
Electra is not a character in "Agamemnon." You're either thinking of "The Libation Bearers" (the next part of the Aeschylus Oresteia) or of "Electra" by Sophocles.
Maybe... Generlizations don't work, i think. What about science fiction by Kurt Vonnegut, Joseph Heller, Anthony Burgess etc. They are not aimed at degredation... i think... illuminate me...
Ian Scott he is and so is Jim Carter who played Carson in downton abbey (he played Agamemnon and is listed in the cast list at the end as James Carter) I am reading Tony Robinson's autobiography at the moment and am on the bit where he talks about this play . also search for Jim Carter and his wife Imelda Staunton being interviewed about their time at the national theatre . it's here on you tube and is really interesting
It's much easier if you've read a translation of Agamemnon and made sure that you understand that in itself before trying to understand a performance of the play, imo :) I also had to read along in my translation while watching the play just bc theyre kinda hard to understand sometimes, and some of their language is pretty weird here.
I strongly disagree. The ancient dramatists were engaged in a fight against the backwardness that had kept Greece in a horrible dark age for centuries. Modern science fiction comes out of cultural movements that are aimed at degredation of the population.
I know it's been 6 years...but as a Classicist and a science fiction writer, would you be able to elaborate on what you mean here about SF being "aimed at degredation of the population?"
Clytemnestra is just having a good girl boss time, wow
holy shit, that's a good clytamnestra. you can just *feel* the power radiating off her.
I was scratching my head thinking "One of those chorus guys sounds like Baldrick from the Blackadder series." I thought it was a funny coincidence, and then I saw Tony Robinson's name in the credits! Hah!
Man, this translator really, REALLY loves alliteration.
"Grudges gangrene the gut"
"Call the clan council to meet in full conclave"
+Steven Petarra +Swairard Swairardov as you may know, this is an ancient tradition in anglo-saxon verse -- you find it already in BEOWULF for example -- and i am sure tony harrison was consciously harking back to that tradition. trying to make his adaptation 'fit' comfortably in english.
It wouldn't surprise me if Aeschylus himself used alliteration in those instances. Greeks loved wordplay.
""Then stride strong and steady on what we have strewn.""
@@coraxjk it’s brilliant!
Call the clan council to meet in full conclave...... it's like a tongue twister
I'm taking a chorus in Ancient Greek history in college this year and found this absolute gem. Thank you for putting it on the way it was written to be viewed. Incredible performances across the board!!!
Fun fact: Agamemnon is played by Jim Carter, otherwise known as Mr. Carson on Downtown Abbey
He’s from my town- I used to chat to his mum at the bus stop!
Downton Abbey
He's just a member of the Chorus
Thank you for this
When Agamemnon started speaking, that's when you could finally understand what anyone was saying.
This is an incredible production. In particular Clytemnestra. Bravo!! The National Theatre is a utopia of art.
mostly a lot of yelling to me
@@thegloriousmoodman2152 😂
I liked Cassandra
I liked the people of colour in this production
I like that the translation keeps Cassandra's first words as they are in Greek, "ototoi popoi da". Thank you for sharing it!
Indeed!
"such gaudy displays goad gods into god-grudge"
This is first time I have had the privilege to see a live version.
Every second year, I take this mountaineering with me.
Thank you for the upload.
On the counsel of those below,
I shall look for other versions too!
I have enjoyed this immeasurably.
Burnett in Cork, Ireland
Sounds good.
I am reading this for my lit class. Because I am not feeling well I decided to listen/watch this before hand. i hope I can make sense of all this lol.
I had a hard time understanding Agamemnon when I first read it but watching this has made everything so clear, And I can now fully enjoy the Agamemnon experience! Thank You
Same with me also.Watching a play helps a great deal :)
Love it. My favourite oresteia. I have seen two in modern greek and its superior. with respect to the text. it seems to be very close to the ancient drama. clytemnystra is MARVELOUS.
That was very tense. A very good preformance. As like I'm in that situation.
And two more plays from the trilogy to watch!!
Thank you very much for uploading this production.
Beautiful and haunting.
Absolutely brilliant performance ❤❤
Get 'The Oresteia' by Ted Hughes published by Faber and Faber - you won't be disappointed. It is fucking awesome. In case you don't know he's one of the greatest English poets of the last 2 or 3 hundred years and he basically rewrites the thing, adapting it, so you get the combined work of 2 geniuses. Like I say, it's awesome.
Fagles every time for me.
I saw this performed decades ago - wonderful to see it again.
I thought the chorus were particularly good in a great convincing production - and the music made it as well. "the thing they raised in their house was blessed by god to be priest of destruction" of Paris l 735-6 So many great lines though!
Who's playing Clytaemnestra? He's marvelous.
It says Philip Donaghy at the last
Striking performance.
A superb rendering.
Bravo! Awesome rendition.
wow, this reads like a dr seuss book
That is the dumbest description ever.
This translation is a trip. It makes Latimore seem positively obscure. I am looking for a copy of the scrip on line now.
It was adapted by Tony Harrison
Beautiful. 🎭
Did anyone else pick up on 'shag-amemnon' at 35.11? Am I hearing that right?
35:09, "Shagamemnon, shameless, shaft-happy" lol
Tony Robinson is such a certified g
You can see this video without the bar of pixelation at the bottom of the screen by searching for "Oresteia 1983 subtitled & cleaned"
32:45 I REVEL IN GLORY
Burned in my memory lol
Thanks for this
Its an attempt at demonstrating why Greek civilization collapsed. Shelley in particular emphasized the importance of poets as legislators in how they educated the people.
This is a pretty cool depiction, but I enjoy reading the play much more. Also I feel like I need to be on drugs because its just...so damn weird (in an artistic way of course). But I would also probably flip my shit because of their masks.
so nice I'm enjoying
very nice my Dear
sure we all know that
magnificent
You can always study Greek, so that you can read the play in its original language.
Aeschylus' Greek is quite challenging, would require a lot of effort just to understand, let alone appreciate and delve into. But once you are there, nothing can compare.
Very thankfull for this thing. For i ams a composer who is entranced by dramaturgy or maybe vice-versa.
You're right, it's him!
Tony Harrison made it a condition of performance that it be masked and have an all male cast. We staged the Oresteia when I was a student in the late 80s. We would have loved to be able to use this translation but we struggled to cast the male roles as it was.
I think the Greeks would be quite puzzled by this
This was the "Star Wars Trilogy" of Ancient Greece.
@Tindel10 Reading beforehand will help. Tragedy has been one of the more important methods of education in history, statecraft, and human nature by poets. Plus, it'll help you fight the stupid culture we live in.
Where can I find a transcript of this? It’s amazing
Thak you :)
Agamemnonsounds like Jim Carter, now a famous actor for Downton Abbey, a feelgood show for POSH people. But here he's sounding fucking great! Watch out, Jim! She's got a spear!
👏💗💗
These sets remind me of the Tom Baker era of Dr Who.
Hopefully they got that g-d offal porridge right. Apollo becomes finite as Plato
21:10 Chorus: Tell me more tell me more did you put up a fight?
may I know which theater company they were?
I have to perform a scene from this for my acting class.....I thought it was going to be difficult to memorize. and I was right! seeing as these guys dont even follow the exact dialogue as written.
It works better when the speed is reduced to .75
Credits are included with the Furies and Libation Bearers.
At what part of this is Clytemnestra's monologue to Electra starting with: so you're prowling outside the house again??
Electra is not a character in "Agamemnon." You're either thinking of "The Libation Bearers" (the next part of the Aeschylus Oresteia) or of "Electra" by Sophocles.
Very easy to pick out Tony Robinson's voice.
It doesnt matter anymore...I got kicked out of the class
Me and the boys
@LareinaTham 1983
And a net.
Was Baldric the servent? A most cunning plan!
She likes to talk alot. Wheeeeee
Maybe... Generlizations don't work, i think. What about science fiction by Kurt Vonnegut, Joseph Heller, Anthony Burgess etc. They are not aimed at degredation... i think... illuminate me...
But who would want to sit through a production from a Loeb translation?
james carter as in carson from downton abbey????
I thought I heard his voice!
haha throwback to two years ago when i took classics
Can anyone tell me who preformed this?
pretty sure Baldric from the Black Adder is at least two of the chorus members
Ian Scott he is and so is Jim Carter who played Carson in downton abbey (he played Agamemnon and is listed in the cast list at the end as James Carter) I am reading Tony Robinson's autobiography at the moment and am on the bit where he talks about this play . also search for Jim Carter and his wife Imelda Staunton being interviewed about their time at the national theatre . it's here on you tube and is really interesting
28:25
It's hard for me to understand stuff like this. :/
It's much easier if you've read a translation of Agamemnon and made sure that you understand that in itself before trying to understand a performance of the play, imo :) I also had to read along in my translation while watching the play just bc theyre kinda hard to understand sometimes, and some of their language is pretty weird here.
Hope’s got no franchise…
Who is here from Burnham grammar school?
well they don't have subs in part 2....
I don't see why they didn't just use a female actor for the female role. I know the Greeks didn't allow that but.. it would have been better.
When was this staged?
The sickly cashew breath hey 👋 🤔
I disagree with you, It would be like the new Miley Cyrus!!!
😂😂
I strongly disagree. The ancient dramatists were engaged in a fight against the backwardness that had kept Greece in a horrible dark age for centuries. Modern science fiction comes out of cultural movements that are aimed at degredation of the population.
I know it's been 6 years...but as a Classicist and a science fiction writer, would you be able to elaborate on what you mean here about SF being "aimed at degredation of the population?"
That seems like an oddly simplistic viewpoint.
why eliminate all trace of the female sex? and there’s a lot of yelling.
Because believe it or not over 2 millennia ago women could not act on stage because they would be killed by the men.
@@wow1371 😱
You can see this video without the bar of pixelation at the bottom of the screen by searching for "Oresteia 1983 subtitled & cleaned"
thanks so much. i really could use some subtitles. :)