54DF521D-1ECE-4051-9299-CBC05502D5F0
| ID | 54DF521D-1ECE-4051-9299-CBC05502D5F0 |
|---|---|
| Titlecode | R00922 |
| Title Name | Overture: In Praise of Folly |
| Marketing Copy | Written as a portrayal of Erasmus's character named Folly, OVERTURE: IN PRAISE OF FOLLY begins with much seriousness, though becomes increasingly playful and teasing with satire and the sardonic to the fore. Hints of American tunes come and go, tunes from different origins, for example “Joshua Fit De Battle of Jericho” and “America the Beautiful”. It was premiered by the New York Philharmonic in 1981 under the baton of Zubin Mehta. |
| Instrumentation | 2(+Picc).2(+EH).2(+BCl).2(+CBn): 4.4.3.1: Timp.Perc(5): Piano(+celeste).Harp: Str |
| Commission | (not set) |
| Dedication | (not set) |
| Program Notes | In Praise of Folly is the second of two works bearing this title derived from the "oration" of Erasmus. The first, written when I was 23, was channeled for recycling shortly after it was finished. My hope is that this reconstructed version of the original concept will have a longer life. It was my intention to write a work that would serve as a concert overture, since there are few American compositions that readily fall into this category. The piece begins with an introduction that includes a fanfare. Derived from this is a motive the intervallic section of which permeates the first large section of the work. A brief lyrical element is interjected in a slower tempo. A transitional section leads into new material alluding to the spiritual "Joshua fit de Battle of Jericho." Excerpts from the first part return with interpolations, juxtapositions and superimpositions of snippets from patriotic, popular and religious sources. There are seemingly irrelevant and possibly irreverant fragments suggesting "America," "My Blue Heaven," "A Tisket, a Tasket," "Ezekiel Saw the Wheel," and "Yankee Doodle," but, again, intervallic relationships link these disparate tunes. "La Cucaracha" is the final quoted source and it appears with the fanfare idea from the beginning to close the piece rambunctiously. --George Walker |
| Title Brand | 2 |
| Year Composed | 1981 |
| Copyright Number | (not set) |
| Copyright Year | (not set) |
| Duration | 8 |
| Ensemble Size | 13 |
| Date Created | 2008-10-31 20:31:19.000000 |
| Date Updated | 2025-09-30 20:31:19 |
| Inhouse Note | (not set) |
| Bsc Code | (not set) |
| Text Author | (not set) |
| Premier Performance Memo | (not set) |
| Recording Credits | (not set) |
| Review | (not set) |
| Awards | (not set) |
| Title Category | 7 |
| Title Movements | (not set) |
| Title Grade | (not set) |
| Set Series ID | (not set) |
| Title Instrument Category Text | Full Orchestra |
| Title Sub Category Text | (not set) |
| Title Sub Category | 31 |
| Title Instrument Header | 41 |
| Title Grade Text | (not set) |
| Clean Url | overture-in-praise-of-folly-r00922 |