Play of Daniel: A Medieval Play
Reviews
“Not only is it, at an hour and ten minutes, a more compact and much more intimate alternative to Handel’s “Messiah,” it is also, like the Cloisters itself, a cultural treasure that we can proudly claim—authentically European, forever New York."
– The New Yorker, January 15, 2013
“a charming solution to the problem that allows for easy understanding of the story….this production begins with a storyteller, a woman costumed appropriately to biblical times, who welcomes the audience in conversational English…..when the music started with a solemn chant in Latin, even children in the audience seemed engrossed, since they already knew what was going to happen."
– The New York Times, December 28, 2014
“After seeing it on Saturday, I am convinced that “The Play of Daniel,” which lasts less than an hour, could have run for a month and attracted eager audiences."
- The New York Times, December 22, 2008
“With singers playing multiple roles, instrumentalists joining the chorus and everyone dancing, this was truly an ensemble effort. The Cloisters must bring it back next holiday season, ideally for an extended run.”
- The New York Times, December 22, 2008
“Musicological authenticity was the last thought on my mind during Mr. Minter’s charming production of this austerely beautiful work.”
- The New York Times, December 22, 2008
“At the end the entire ensemble joins in a soaring, spine-tingling recessional chorus, accompanied by just a spare sequence of bells, praising Jesus’ birth. The very old felt, for a few minutes, very much of our time.”
- The New York Times, January 13, 2013
“In the spirit of the Greenberg premiere, this production, staged by Drew Minter, with musical direction by Mary Anne Ballard, brought together instrumentalists and singers to create a version that both honored and completely refreshed the sources.”
- The New York Times, December 22, 2008
“A talented group of performers made a convincing case that there was something decidedly operatic happening far before the Renaissance.”
– The New York Times, January 13, 2013
“When it was presented at the Cloisters in 1958 by New York Pro Musica, this Old Testament musical drama, a product of thirteenth-century France, jump-started the early-music movement in America. Now the acclaimed fiftieth-anniversary staged production, created in 2008 under the direction of Drew Minter and Mary Anne Ballard, comes to another great space, Trinity Church.”
- The New Yorker – 2014 holiday season preview
“After the 1958 performances, Edward Downes wrote, in the Times, that 'there were voices in the audience pleading not only for an extension of this year’s run but also for making this an annual New Year’s season observance at the Cloisters.' I couldn’t agree more.”
- The New Yorker, January 15, 2013
Videos
Balthasar's Feast
Balthasar's Feast King Balthasar of Babylon wishes to celebrate a feast, and commands the Satraps to bring the sacred vessels from the Hebrew Temple, which was destroyed by his father, Nebuchadnezzar. Suddenly a mysterious message in a cryptic writing appears on the wall. Balthasar summons his astrologers to interpret the message, but they are unable to understand its meaning. The Queen arrives, and advises Balthasar to summon Daniel, one of the Hebrew captives at the Babylonian court.
Daniel
Daniel Interpreting the Writing on the Wall Daniel is brought to the King, who promises him great wealth if he can translate the writing on the wall. Daniel contemplates the mysterious message, then answers slowly, explaining that by keeping the sacred vessels looted by his father, Balthasar will suffer the same fate that his father did. The writings, Daniel says, foretell the end of Balthasar's life and his kingdom. Despite learning of his own doom, Balthasar keeps his promise to reward Daniel, and cloaks him with royal vestments.
Full Performance
VIDEO OF A LIVE PERFORMANCE AT TRINITY WALL STREET CHURCH, NEW YORK CITY, DECEMBER 28, 2014:
Other Resources
Filmed on December 19, 2008 in the Fuentidueña Chapel of The Cloisters, this production was commissioned by Concerts at The Cloisters to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Play's modern premiere by Noah Greenberg and the New York Pro Musica Antiqua, which took place at The Cloisters in 1958.
Daniel at 50
Synopsis
PAST PERFORMANCES:
Twelfth Night Festival, Trinity Wall Street Church, New York City, January 2 & 3, 2016
Twelfth Night Festival, Trinity Wall Street Church, New York City, December 27 & 28, 2014
Twelfth Night Festival, Trinity Wall Street Church, New York City, December 28 & 29, 2013
Connecticut Early Music Festival, New London, CT June 23, 2013
Rockport Chamber Music Festival, Rockport MA, June 21, 2013
Cloisters Museum, New York City, January 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 2013
Cloisters Museum, New York City, December 20 & 21, 2008
Performances
