Music for Piano Trio "The March of Folly'
Justin Dello Joio
About this work:
Music for Piano Trio/ The March of Folly was inspired by Barbara Tuchman’s book of the same name. In her book, Ms. Tuchman defines folly as ‘the pursuit by governments of pursuing policies contrary to their own interests’ and in the preface, she asks ‘why do holders of high office so often act contrary to the way reason
points and enlightened self interests suggests? Why does intelligent mental process seem so often not to function?’ She illuminates four decisive points in history that illustrate the very heights of folly in government, and illustrates folly as ‘a child of power.’
In this coolly rational, insightful study, I found many behavior patterns were revealed, that seem to be endlessly repeated throughout history. For me, it was really about how many things never change, how
people seem cursed to repeat the same errors, over and over again, in our private and public lives; as governments come and go, things seem to continue on in the same mad way.
I did have an image in my mind as I wrote this work: great crowds marching with flying flags, waving banners, and twirling batons, mindlessly destroying whatever is in their path. The March is one of
great pomp, patriotic fervor, and the self-assurance that results from an unshakeable belief that God and religion is exclusively on one’s own side. Regardless of the destruction the March wreaks, the crowd blindly but with great enthusiasm, marches relentlessly on, embracing all the usual platitudes that give justification for, and mask the true, motivations of so many governments throughout history.
My Trio was a personal and very emotional response to the impact this book and image had on me. I sought to express a sense of its irony, with music that is simultaneously sarcastic, relentless and pompous, and even, ‘double talk ‘ suave. Ultimately, the aggressive approach to catastrophe was a natural result.
The work’ s simple underlying structure evolved in this way:
1st movement – The March of Folly – an ironic, sarcastic grand opening March
2nd - Respite (a cessation from suffering) – simple A/B/A form, not unlike a peculiar sort of 21st century Minuet and Trio.
3rd movement- March of Folly: To the Abyss/Cataclysm -now refreshed from the lyric repose, the piece resumes marching, and moves joyously to an inevitable Cataclysm, where the various tunes
seem to float by in bits and pieces, and reach an agitated climax.
Epilogue: Prayer for Chiara - being a foolish optimist, the piece ends with a brief, naïve, but hopeful wish, that my own child will imagine a different image.
My work consistently employs a motive associated with a minor third throughout. In the preface of Tuchman’s book, she quotes the following: “I can see no reason why anyone should suppose that in the future, the same motifs already heard will not be sounding still… put to use by reasonable men to reasonable ends, or by
madmen to nonsense and disaster.” (Joseph Campbell, The Masks of God: Primitive Mythology)
I found this quotation intriguing, and tried to reflect it in a musical sense. The first movement begins with 10 pages of music exclusively connected with the minor third motive, before a tune enters. When one does, the melody is made with the motive buried and used structurally in its contours. The second and third movements continue to make consistent use of the interval, as a structural device. In the Epilogue, all else is pared away, and the opening 7 bars limited to only the 2 notes -the third E and G; all other pitches are excluded. As the Epilogue sings its way to the double bar, the E - G continue on, undisturbed in the piano.
‘The same motive sounding still…’
Year composed:
Duration: 00:23:03
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:Piano Trio
Instrumentation: 1 Piano, 1 Violin, 1 Cello