
2003-04 / Chamber Music & Large Ensemble
DURATION
6 minutesINSTRUMENTATION
2 pianos / 8 hands or piano ensemble
- March of Tolerance (midi demo) 05:26
Programme Notes
When I watch the news or observe my immediate surroundings, I notice that, as a society, we are doing an awful job of being kind, sympathetic, and tolerant of one another. Okay, that might sound naive, but just think about it. Each day, we are hurting, starving, ignoring, and killing each other. And why? Well, I’m no psychologist, but maybe it’s because we fail to recognize how our everyday actions affect others. Tolerance is a virtue that must not be ignored. Tolerance is a virtue that we can’t afford to ignore. Tolerance is a virtue that we should nurture.
While exploring these issues in this work, I decided to use percussive themes typically associated with a militaristic march. The rationale behind this was to evoke the same patriotic tones that often inspire a soldier to kill but reverse the sentiment, using the rhythms instead to motivate tolerance. These percussive motifs interweave with various ballad-like melodies, including a quotation from a gospel hymn of faith.
This piece was written with the hope that, rather than working communally to destroy one another, we can “march” together to foster mutual respect. Musicians coming together to perform this work is one small step toward that goal.
– Frank Horvat