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tree_and_leafMy copy of the BBC radio version of The Lord of the Rings arrived today. Much happy listening awaits, what with Michael Horden as the definitive Gandalf, Ian Holm as a fine Frodo, Bill ("William") Nighy very loveable as Sam, and - although I know some people were critical of him - Robert Stephens sounding extremely sexy and noble as Aragorn. The music is good, too, and all in all I'm glad to finally have it on CD, rather than on my self-pirated rather poor quality home recording from the last time the BBC repeated it. Which my unfeeling mother forced me to leave at home, so that she could listen to it during the ironing (to be fair, the tapes wouldn't exactly have fitted in my luggage).
However, thereby hangs a tale, because I bought the German edition - German in the sense that it was produced in Munich, although not only the audio content, but the packaging and accompanying notes are in English - it's in a cardboard box, rather than the usual BBC enterprises jewel case, and it doesn't have complete production notes, but I can live with this.
Why did I go to this rather counter-intuitive length? For the simple reason that in Britain, the RRP of this fine production is £80 (although Amazon sometimes sells it for around £70). The German edition... well, including P&P, I paid £36.
However, thereby hangs a tale, because I bought the German edition - German in the sense that it was produced in Munich, although not only the audio content, but the packaging and accompanying notes are in English - it's in a cardboard box, rather than the usual BBC enterprises jewel case, and it doesn't have complete production notes, but I can live with this.
Why did I go to this rather counter-intuitive length? For the simple reason that in Britain, the RRP of this fine production is £80 (although Amazon sometimes sells it for around £70). The German edition... well, including P&P, I paid £36.
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(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 02:57 pm (UTC)And oh, how do you get hold of the German version? £36 I feel I can just about cope with spending on myself, and I've been wanting to buy the CD version for ages - like you, I only have taped-off-the-radio versions. Except it's even worse, because they're a real jumble of the first time it was on in half hourly episodes and another time when the episodes were hour long (both taped by my parents before I was born), and it's a nightmare trying to get the whole thing together without repetitions/omisssions.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 03:09 pm (UTC)- otherwise search for "Lord of the Rings hörspiel" Then click 'in den Einkaufswagen' followed by 'zur Kasse gehen'. You can pay with a British credit card - I think it is self explanatory from there, but let me know if you need any linguistic help (don't know if you speak German....)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 03:10 pm (UTC)Personally, I adore Robert Stephens as Aragorn (I adore Robert Stephens full stop; I can still quote most of his lines from The Box of Delights), but Arwen sounds like an 1890s headmistress of Cheltenham Ladies’ College.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 03:14 pm (UTC)... May never be able to take BBC Arwen seriously again - but then I always want to throw rocks at Liv Tyler, and she's present for a much larger percentage of the story in the movie version...
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 03:34 pm (UTC)Amazon.de it is…
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 04:27 pm (UTC)Overall, it's a wonderful audioplay, though. It might have benefitted from a narrator in some places, as so many of the descriptive passages, with their evocative atmosphere, got lost. But especially the Frodo & Sam & Gollum scenes are superb! I hadn't noticed that it was Bill Nighy playing Sam. Hee!
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 04:32 pm (UTC)No, of course, I'm not. I will certainly admit that it isn't the most expected choice - though I'm not sure who would be - but, well, you already know where I stand on the matter :)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 04:37 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 06:17 pm (UTC)Clears throat.
YOU OBVIOUSLY DON'T RECOGNISE VOCAL TALENT WHEN YOU HEQAR IT!!!!!!
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 08:07 pm (UTC)I don't think this is going to work. Our diction is still far too formal, and we haven't resorted to name-calling yet.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 08:13 pm (UTC)Oh well. I am going off to listen to LoTR, so there!
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 08:21 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 08:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 08:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 08:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 08:37 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-30 06:11 am (UTC)I'm sure it would make a splendid dartboard.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-30 10:02 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-30 06:13 am (UTC)I still think it was worth every penny. In spite of the early episode in which Gollum was clearly tortured using a giant stapler.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-30 10:05 am (UTC)Now now, the Lieutenant of Barad-Dûr was clearly doing his best under budgetary cut-backs. Inspired, probably, by childhood memories of 'Black Peter', with its catchphrase 'Here's one I softened up earlier'....
And yes, it would be worth the £50...