Educational screen & audio-visual guide (c1956-1971])

than a mere small portion— and the instructional design can be completed through the use of the Siegmeister or other material to summarize the points discussed. riie information is carefully selected aiid forcefiily presented. The brief illustrations are interesting. The recording can be used as introductory material in secondary school music classes and with more advanced junior high school students. Libraries may add it to loan collections for general listening, or use it in special programs designed to appeal to novices interested in a smvey study of these aspects of music. Careful planning will add greatly to the effectiveness of the listening/learning situation. More On The Bard Secondary school students and their elders will have a pleasant time listening to A Winter's Tale as it is offered iiiidcr the label of the Shakespeare Recording Society. This label, an adiunct of Caedmon, will eventually .idorn all or practically all of tlie plays by Sliakespeare. The recording of A Winter's Tale has the right levity of touch, he right lightness of cadence to asure the audience that everything will )e "all right" before the end of the List act. The plot is called a 'tragi■oinedy,' and the particular performuice in question appropriately stresses he lighter side of the story. The part of Leontes is played by >ir John Gielgud and he is supported )\ Dame Peggy Ashcroft as Paulina, uchth Scott as Perdita and Alan Bates s Florizel. Instructional applications are im nediately obvious. Some library ap ilications, too, are seen. We have yet o hear, however, of a library schedul ig a Shakespeare Season with a ifferent play presented each week ver an appreciable period of time, or Shakespeare Festival emphasizing different play each evening over a riod of a week or more. Nor have we ncountered school use of these re irdings involving serial presentation I such performances as these through week, and being offered during a eriod when a considerable number of Indents may voluntarily choose to lis ■n and enjoy (and, incidentally, profit om ) the experience. The many new recordings of Shake )earean plays give educators an en iablo opportunity now and forever set a standard of enjoyment parallel ith learning. Too frequently, students ave approached the study of these reat plays with dread based on the tperiences of their parents and their contemporaries. Too frequently, and without reason, plays are taught as though the beauty in the lines and the wisdom of the statements died in 1616 (A.D. that is) along with the author. The use of recordings can give renewed vigor to the plays, make them performances instead of words, and give luster to their study. In view of the audiences for which Shakespeare wrote— seeing but unlettered—it is not surprising that he is one of the most successful writers of recordings today, just as he was one of the best radio writers a generation ago. But at the present time indications are that we shall be treated to at least three different and worthwhile complete Shakespeare recorded libraries. In past issues we have mentioned the work of The Spoken Word and the Shakespeare Recording Society. And we consider the offerings of each, although different, equally noteworthy. We have just received an announcement from London Records listing an added variety of full length Shakespearean plays "complete and uncut" for individual and group listening. (Continued on next page) PIXMOBILE ® 54-INCH TELEVISION TABLE The new, taller TV table improved for classroom use • All-steel construction • 25"x30" shelves # Matching gray hard-rubber ribbed pad # 4" quality casters ADVANCE PRODUCTS COMPANY 2310 East Douglas Ave. / \Vichita, Kansas FREE TO NEW SUBSCRIBERS DIRECTORY OF RECORD PRODUCERS ON 3 X 5 CARDS AN AUDIO CARDALOG EXTRA already distributed free to all subscribers ORDER AUDIO CARDALOG BEFORE September 15, 1961 AND GET YOUR FREE DIRECTORY, TOO Audio CARDALOG PO Box 1771 Albany 1, New York Directory available at $5.00 to subscribers after September 15, 1961. ioUCATIOiNAL ScREEN AND AUDIOVISUAL GuiDE — AUGUST, 1961 397