The Inquisitive Musician / Tonic
Cindy Bernard and David Hatcher, The Inquisitive Musician, Tonic Performance, November 8, 2005
The Inquisitive Musician
The struggle for precedence between the Kunstfeifer and the Common Players presented in a sparkling new comedy
A project by Cindy Bernard
Translated and adapted by Cindy Bernard and David Hatcher
Music director: David Watson
The Inquisitive Musician is an adaptation of a 17th century satire attributed to Johann Kuhnau, Bach’s predecessor as cantor of Leipzig, Germany. The satire pits itinerant “beer fiddlers” against the official city sanctioned “Kunstpfeifer” (or “art piper”) in an argument over who is the better musician and has the right to perform and be fairly compensated. The struggle arises out of the challenge of an economically strained populace to compensate musicians for their labor—a familiar story which continues to this day.
The roles are populated by artists, musicians and writers who identify with the struggle represented in the play which is presented as a staged read with video and live music.
The Tonic Performance, November 8, 2005
Presented in conjunction with Tracy Williams LTD
The Cast:
Prologus / Pickelhering: David Hatcher
Cupid/Bona: Tracy Williams
Count Musophilus: Alexander Gray
The Beerfiddlers:
Fiedel-Hänsel / Käthe: Shelley Hirsch
Bocks-Märten / Bailiff: David Watson
Pechmann / Waschebleil: Michael Smtih
Schiefer-Barthel / White Horse: D. Mark Kingsley
The Kunstpfeifers:
Paulis Harmonicus: Guy Richards Smit
Enantius: Alan LIcht
Musicians: Okkyung Lee, Kenta Naagai, David Watson
View additional performances at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Stedelijk Museum.
View related exhibitions, press and journal posts
