Interim Report Re: HP on Audio: Dale v. Fry Taste Test

[catherine at cator-manor.demon.co.uk]

No: HPFGUIDX 17815

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Haggridd" <jkusalavagemd at y...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Haggridd" <jkusalavagemd at y...> wrote:
> > --- In HPforGrownups at y..., Amanda Lewanski <editor at t...> wrote:
> >  I lean toward Fry just from (a) the snippet I heard online 
> someplace, (b) the fact  that Ihave not liked Jim Dale from way, 
way 
> back in a Disney movie (Pete's Dragon?), and (c) I want a reading, 
> not an interpretation. 
> > > 
> > > --Amanda
> > 
> > > 
> > But Fry is equally engaging in interpretation as is Dale.  
> 
> As I listen further to Fry's interpretation of PS, I have made the 
> following observations, in no particular order:
> 
> Fry becomes less enjoyable the more ambitious he is in making up 
> voices. His Harry is excellent-- better than Dale's-- because it is 
> essentially Fry's reading voice.  His Aunt Petunia is poor, as is 
his 
> Minerva MacGonagall. 

I love his Prof Mcgonagall.  For me, has given it the right amount of 
sharpness - and he hasn't fallen into the trap of giving her a 
Scottish accent which would probably sound too comical, and would 
give her less dignity than she deserves.  The sections in CoS and 
GoF, when she is portrayed as softening slightly are also well done, 
IMO.
 
> I prefer Fry's voice for Hermione.  It captures her breathless 
> bossiness quite well.  Dale makes her sound too nice too soon.
Yep, I love Stephen Fry's Hermione as well.  I like the way he almost 
speed reads some of it, showing the torrent of words with which she 
sometimes bombards Ron and Harry.

> Irrespective of any authentic dialect issues, I love Dale's Hagrid. 
> He is the essential gamekeeper to me and irascible in a nice way. 
> Fry's Hagrid sounds too much like a lower class city dweller.

I originally objected to Fry's Hagrid - but to me he can't possibly 
sound like a lower class city dweller, because he does an authentic 
West Country accent, which JKR specified.  It has grown on me.

> I don't like Fry's Ron at all.  Too high a timbre to his voice, and 
> if also interferes with his vocal interpretaions on Ron's 
dialogue.  
> It is his worst voice so far.

I don't agree with this.  I don't know whether this is something that 
has developed, but for me, Stephen Fry does convey the right amount 
of sarcasm, bitterness in Ron's voice.  He also makes him sound quite 
biting when he gets older.

> I also don't care for Fry's Fred & George.  Dale conveys their 
> cheerful criminality and their highly developed and specialized 
> senses of humor much better.
Yes - to me they seem almost evil ( and at the very least mean and 
petty ) in the later recordings.

> That's all for now.  Any comments?
> 
> Haggridd

I haven't listened to Jim Dale - so I can't compare, but I don't 
think I could now, because some of Stephen Fry's voices are imprinted 
quite strongly in my mind, and I think that a new interpretation 
would jar.

Interestingly, there is only one passage in the whole four books in 
which I have disagreed with Stephen Fry's interpretation.  It was the 
way he says Hermione's "Neville" after the first DADA lesson with Mad 
Eye Moody.  I only noticed it, because it was the first time I had 
thought - no that doesn't sound quite right.

Catherine