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Title	Morias Enkomion  NEW!
Article no.	4123210
Category	Concert/wind/brass band
Subcategory	Solo for Piano
Instrumentation	Ha (concert/wind band); Pno (piano)
Instrumentation/info	Solo f. Pno
Format	PrtStm (full score and parts)
Country of publication	Netherlands (nl)
Publisher *	Molenaar Edition
Publisher's article no. *	MOL 013833090
Price	click here
Composer	Schrijvers, Geert
Difficulty level	5
Duration	12:00
Additional info/contents	Geert Schrijvers' composition *Morias Enkomion* draws on Erasmus' satirical work *In Praise of Folly*, in which personified Folly mocks human weaknesses and societal contradictions. In the musical work, the piano assumes this role. It observes the orchestra, reacts to its sounds, provokes, and anticipates musical events. The "sleep'out" motif and the jester's cap's jingling bells underscore its ironic and self-critical character. Schrijvers connects Erasmus's historical social critique with experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theories, lockdowns, fear, and polarization are musically exaggerated. The bass trombone embodies a blustering politician, the changing saraband represents alienation, and the escalating march symbolizes increasing social tensions. Thus, the piano becomes both a mocker and a part of the society being criticized. The composition encourages one not only to laugh at the folly of others, but also to question one's own fears, prejudices and certainties. (© musicainfo.net)
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Programme notes *: Moria's Encomium: Folly as a Mirror of Society Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam published *Moria's Encomium*, usually translated as *In Praise of Folly*, in 1511. This satirical work is one of the most important texts of European humanism. Erasmus employs the literary form of the fool's speech: Personified Folly appears as the speaker, praising her supposed virtues. This creates a double-edged text in which praise and criticism constantly intertwine. Folly claims to control human life and demonstrates that almost all areas of society are characterized by self-deception, vanity, and irrational behavior. The focus is not only on individuals, but also on entire social groups and institutions. Scholars, theologians, rulers, and politicians are examined critically, as is the everyday pursuit of recognition, possessions, and power. Erasmus does not formulate his critique as a dispassionate indictment. He gives the floor to folly itself, and in doing so, makes the contradictions of human action visible. The fool's speech entertains, mocks, and simultaneously calls for self-examination. Those who laugh at the folly of others must ask themselves whether they themselves are not part of the world being criticized. Geert Schrijvers' composition "Morias Enkomion" Geert Schrijvers takes up this basic idea in his composition *Morias Enkomion* for top-level wind orchestra. The musical realization transfers the literary personification of folly to the piano. As an unusual instrument within the wind orchestra, it doesn't simply stand solo alongside the ensemble. It observes the orchestra, reacts to its gestures, provokes musical processes, or anticipates them. This creates a figure that neither fully integrates into the soundscape nor remains separate from it. The piano comments on the events and simultaneously becomes part of the society it critically examines. This dual role corresponds to the function of folly in Erasmus's music. The piano can appear seemingly sovereign, but then, through unexpected entrances, exaggerations, or grotesque sonic effects, it challenges the authority of the orchestra. It seems observant and mocking, yet it is not free from the contradictions it exposes. The so-called "sleep'out" motif alludes to an attitude of looking away or being asleep. The bells of the jester's cap reinforce the ironic character: they mark the figure as foolish, but at the same time draw attention to statements that cannot simply be dismissed as nonsense. Schrijvers expands the historical reference to Erasmus to include experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theories, lockdowns, and increasing social polarization appear not as isolated documentary snapshots, but as musically heightened manifestations of human uncertainty and self-deception. The composition doesn't simply portray one side as reasonable and the other as foolish. Rather, it shows how fear, mistrust, and the desire for simple explanations can exacerbate social tensions. Folly thus becomes a contemporary figure. This is particularly evident in the musical characters. The bass trombone embodies the blustering politician. Its sound can convey authority and volume, but also exaggeration and crude simplification. The saraband, originally a clearly defined dance movement, changes over the course of the work. Its mutability can be understood as a musical image of alienation: familiar order remains recognizable, but increasingly loses its stability. The escalating march ultimately leads to an atmosphere of polarization and fear. What initially sounds like a shared movement develops into an increasingly threatening and disintegrating process. • In this way, Schrijvers connects Erasmus's historical social satire with a musical reflection of the present. The piano, as folly, mocks, comments on, and disrupts. It forces the orchestra to react to his interjections, thereby making hidden tensions audible. The composition's critical effect stems precisely from the fact that the character not only laughs at others but remains entangled in the events. *Moria's Encomium* invites us not only to judge social phenomena but also to question our own perceptions, fears, and certainties. • Text: © musicainfo.net (KI) Quellen/Sources: Molenaar: Morias Enkomion

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