Ludus Danielis (The Play Of Daniel) - The Dufay Collective

Ludus Danielis - The Play Of Daniel
The Dufay Collective

Harmonia Mundi, 08/12/2008
Vivien Ellis, Simon Grant, Giles Lewin, Tom Phillips st al.
Conductor: William Lyons
The Dufay Collective, Southwell Minster Choristers

The early-13th-century liturgical drama known as The Play of Daniel has been called everything from a "Christmas pageant" to "the first opera", and indeed it has legitimate claim to aspects of both of these references. Because the story of Daniel is laden with prophecy of the coming of the Messiah, and because of its remarkable melodic sophistication and specific dramatic features (scenes, characters, choruses, stage directions), this play was a popular production during the Christmas celebrations at France's Beauvais Cathedral, where its various components--conducti (processionals), recitative-like solos, dialogues, and group songs--were collected and organized into the manuscript that now resides in the British Museum.
The play was revived for modern audiences in 1958 by Noah Greenberg and his New York Pro Musica (recorded by US Decca but now out of print) and since has received a handful of new productions on disc. Of course, owing to the non-specific information in the original manuscript--such items as rhythms, keys, particular instruments, tempo, etc. are not given--each performance is unique and, depending on the overall competence and capability of the performers in question, can be both informative and effectively entertaining.
This new version by The Dufay Collective joins my other reference recording (Schola Hungarica/Hungaroton) in fitting all the requirements for a thoughtful, creative, dramatically and liturgically sensitive, historically informed performance that, yes, really engrosses the ear and holds the listener's attention. And both versions are so different (as is Greenberg's, its most recent incarnation being an MCA reissue in 1991, also out of print) that if you enjoy this sort of thing, it's well worth owning them all. Apart from striking differences in rhythms and tempos (the beautiful conductus "Cum doctorum" for example, a tune that just makes you want to sing along), as well as vocal scoring, the two recordings are most significantly contrasting in their use of instruments.
The Schola Hungarica version (this, by the way, was one of the earliest digital recordings, made in a real 13th-century church, and it still sounds terrific) relies on just voices with carefully added percussion (including very effectively employed chimes here and there); William Lyons' Dufay Collective is notable for the way it opens the play up to a much more festive, colorful dramatic spectacle, with a larger contingent of instruments, from harp, bells, and percussion to vielle, flute, recorder, and portativ organ. The tasteful instrumental accompaniments and interludes ideally complement the voices, preserving the preeminence of the vocal music, which, embodied in the characters and their expression of the texts, is the essence of the play.
The drama itself is worthy of any opera--it includes the opening feast at the court of Belshazzar, the mysterious, ominous Writing on the Wall, Daniel's interpretation of the strange words and his subsequent adornment, the evil, conniving court counselors, the infamous Lions' Den and Daniel's deliverance, the execution of the plotters, the prophecy of the coming of Christ, reinforced at the play's end by the appearance of an Angel.
It's interesting how the "staging" of the Writing on the Wall is presented in the two recordings: the Schola Hungarica offers a dark, foreboding voice uttering the three words--"Mane", "Thechel", "Phares"--accompanied by a distant gong; the Dufay Collective interprets this important moment with creepy overlapping whispering of the words with similarly weird, light instrumental background sounds. Both are effective, and throughout the performances these kinds of comparisons invariably reward careful listening. Other noteworthy differences are the Dufay Collective's use of a French pronunciation of the Latin and this same group's addition of drones and other harmonic effects at certain points. The singing and instrumental playing are first rate, as we expect from these forces, and I have to say that the way instruments are used here (including the interludes and introductory passages) really helps move the action along and also helps to create a sense of occasion that, combined with the excellent recorded sound, enlivens and enriches the drama. A must for early music fans!

--David Vernier