From the Archives - Shakespeare in Music

By Frank Byrne,

Sam Wisman

Published April 7, 2025 at 11:46 AM CDT

It seems there is no end to the ways composers have been inspired by William Shakespeare's words to create marvelous music. Enjoy colorful works inspired by Hamlet, Antony and Cleopatra and more.

Compositions and Recordings

Hamlet Incidental Music
by Serge Prokofiev
Vladimir Ponkin and the "Maly" Moscow Symphony; Ludmilla Koroleva, Boris Stetsenko

Four Shakespeare Songs
by Cecilia McDowell
Bach Aria Soloists; Sarah Anderson

Antony and Cleopatra Overture
by Mario Castelnuevo-Tedesco
Andrew Penny and the West Australian Symphony

From the Archives with Frank Byrne

Frank Byrne

Frank Byrne is the host of From the Archives on 91.9 Classical KC.

Sam Wisman

Sam Wisman is a Senior Producer for 91.9 Classical KC and a backup announcer for KCUR 89.3. Email him at samwisman@classicalkc.org.