THE COMPLETE STORIES OF ANTON CHEKHOV, VOLUME 2 1886

These stories, dating from 1886, cover a wide range of people, situations, and emotions. Anthony Heald doesn’t so much read them as perform them as small plays. His voice, while not naturally strong, is agile and expressive. He gives voices to Chekhov’s whole range of ages, classes, and types, switching among characters easily, through 55 stories, without seeming repetitive. His pacing is excellent. Performance demands interpretation; his interpretations are on the mark. At times, for dramatic effect or variety, he uses exaggerated voices, even bordering on caricature, and his women and children are more conventions (high, light voices) than portrayals. But his ability to think through and “stage” 55 short plays, bringing them alive, is remarkable. W.M. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2012]