September 19, 2025

20,000 vinyl LPs 397: William Shakespeare ~ The Merchant of Venice

 ~  
vinyl LP front cover 
artwork by Tony Ward 
photo of album cover by Styrous®


On September 19, 1891, The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare was performed for the first time at Manchester, England
 
It is classified as a comedy but is most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and it is best known for the character Shylock and his famous demand for a "pound of flesh".         
 
This recording features Peggy Ashcroft speaking the role of Portia and Eric Portman the role of Shylock. There is a full list of the artists involved below. The recording also included a libretto with liner notes.   
 
 
libretto artwork by Tony Ward 
engraving by J. Parker 
liner notes by Bernard Grebanier 
photo of libretto by Styrous®
                  
 
Bassanio, a young noble Venetian, wishes to woo the beautiful and wealthy heiress of Belmont, Portia. Having squandered his estate, he needs 3,000 ducats to subsidise his expenditures as a suitor. Bassanio approaches his friend Antonio, a wealthy merchant of Venice, who has previously and repeatedly bailed him out. Antonio agrees, but has no liquid cash as his ships and merchandise are busy at sea – he promises to cover a bond if Bassanio can find a lender, so Bassanio turns to the Jewish moneylender Shylock and names Antonio as the loan's guarantor. Shylock is reluctant to grant the loan, but finally agrees to lend the sum to Bassanio without interest upon one condition: if Antonio were unable to repay it at the specified date, Shylock may take a pound of Antonio's flesh (link to complete synopsis below).        
 
The play contains two famous speeches, that of Shylock, "Hath not a Jew eyes?" on the subject of humanity, and that of Portia on "the quality of mercy".                
 
The play though frequently staged is potentially troubling because of its central themes, which can easily appear antisemitic. English society in the Elizabethan and Jacobean era has been described as "judeophobic". English Jews had been expelled under Edward I in 1290 and were not permitted to return until 1656 under the rule of Oliver Cromwell.        
 
Poet John Donne, a contemporary of Shakespeare, gave a sermon in 1624 perpetuating the Blood Libel – the entirely unsubstantiated antisemitic lie that Jews ritually murdered Christians to drink their blood and achieve salvation. The play has been made use of by antisemites throughout the play's history. The Nazis used the usurious Shylock for their propaganda. Shortly after Kristallnacht in 1938, The Merchant of Venice was broadcast for propagandistic ends over the German airwaves. Productions of the play followed in Lübeck (1938), Berlin (1940), and elsewhere within the Nazi territory.       
 



   
Tracklist:
       
Side 1:
        
A - The Merchant Of Venice
       
Side 2:
       
B - The Merchant Of Venice
       
Companies, etc.
       
    Copyright © – Living Shakespeare
    Printed By – Garrod & Lofthouse
    Recorded By – F.C.M. Productions
        
Credits:
       
    Composed By [Music] – Michael Mellinger
    Directed By – John Hale
    Voice Actor [Antonio] – Nigel Davenport
    Voice Actor [Bassanio] – John Westbrook
    Voice Actor [Gratiano] – Brian Hawksley
    Voice Actor [Jessica] – Annette Crosbie
    Voice Actor [Lorenzo] – Robin Phillips (2)
    Voice Actor [Nerissa] – Margaret Worsley
    Voice Actor [Portia] – Peggy Ashcroft
    Voice Actor [Shylock] – Eric Portman
    Voice Actor [Stephano; Prince Of Arragon] – John Davidson (2)
    Voice Actor [The Duke Of Venice; Servant] – Morris Perry
    Voice Actor [The Prince Of Morrocco; Salerio] – Michael Kilgarriff
    Written By [Uncredited] – William Shakespeare
        
Notes:
       
Modern abridged version.

Printed and made in Great Britain by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd.

An F.C.M. production.

Includes a 38-page book with acting version; the complete play, notes and glossary.
       
Barcode and Other Identifiers
        
    Matrix / Runout (A-side runout, stamped): DEOB 7AS-[1A crossed out]-A-1
    Matrix / Runout (B-side runout, stamped): DEOB 7AS-[1B crossed out]-B-1

William Shakespeare – The Merchant Of Venice
Label: Odhams Books Ltd. – DEOB 7AS
Series: Living Shakespeare
Format: Vinyl, LP, Stereo
Country: UK
Released: 1964
Genre: Stage & Screen
Style: Radioplay, Musical
 
         
Viewfinder links:        
        
Peggy Ashcroft         
Oliver Cromwell         
Eric Portman        
William Shakespeare         
        
Net link:        
        
Vendantu ~ Merchant of Venice synopsis            
        
YouTube links:        
        
The Merchant of Venice ~         
The Merchant of Venice (complete) (2hrs., 11 mins., 45 secs.)                 
Hath not a Jew eyes?                     
pound of flesh             
Peggy Ashcroft ~ the quality of mercy           
        
         
        
        
        
Styrous® ~ Friday, September 19, 2025        
       
 
 









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