The Life of Galileo

The German poet/playwright Bertolt Brecht worked on at least three versions of this play--one in the wake of Hitler, one (in English!) in the wake of Hiroshima, and one in the wake of McCarthyism. It is here presented in a fourth, much condensed, version by British playwright David Hare. Galileo's conflict with and ultimate capitulation to the Catholic Church is performed stagily, vigorously, and swiftly before an enthusiastic audience. Inexplicably, all the Renaissance Italians speak with British accents. Characterizations tend toward the one-dimensional. Sound quality is superb, the voices distinctive and attractive. But not much of Brecht's theatrical dynamism filters through Hare's reduction. An illuminating interview with E.C. Krupp of Griffith Observatory discusses the science and history behind the play. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine