Knee Plays
2020
The Crossing & Dito van Reigersberg
#GLASSFEST at Annenberg Center
For 18 singing instrumentalists & orator
Musical arrangements of David Byrne’s Music for “The Knee Plays,” originally written for Robert Wilson’s the CIVIL warS: a tree is best measured when it is down (1985)
setlist:
– Tree (Today Is an Important Occasion)
– Things To Do (I’ve Tried)
– Theodora Is Dozing
– The Sound of Business
– In The Future
– Social Studies
– (The Gift of Sound) Where the Sun Never Goes Down
For The Crossing’s Knee Plays: a concert of music from Phillip Glass and David Byrne at Annenberg Center’s #GLASSFEST – conceived, directed, and conducted by Donald Nally
Premiered February 21 and 22, 2020 at the Harold Prince Theatre, Annenberg Center, Philadelphia
“Vondrak insightfully adapted Byrne’s own orchestrations. As rehearsals began, members of The Crossing were asked to bring whatever instruments they played, so the band’s make-up was an unforeseen and unusual pastiche, making Vondrak’s work all the more impressive.” – Broad Street Review
Instrumentation:
violin, cello, oboe, clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax, bari sax, trumpet, french horn, flugelhorn, guitars, mandolin, organ, drum kit, aux. percussion