The Play Of Daniel / The Dufay Collective
) | Label: harmonia mundi Catalog: 907479 Format: CD The Dufay Collective; Cond. William LyonsThe Play of Daniel is a 12th-century liturgical drama of collective authorship whose manuscript originated at the Beauvais Cathedral. It relates how the prophet Daniel deciphered the Writing on the Wall for King Belshazzar, then was miraculously saved from the lions' den. The story was probably sung and acted out by young clerics during the Christmas festivities, when liturgical rigour was relaxed somewhat. This recording transports us back to the origins of music as spectacle: long before the advent of opera, the church had already grasped the impact of dramatic performance.  Price: $22.98 |