Real
True Narratives
With China's emergence as an economic power, the United States is newly concerned about the balance of economic and military power.
Some people's idea of balance may be other people's idea of ridiculous. Commonly, propagandists promote an ideal in direct contravention to its expression.
- Nicholas O'Shaughnessy, Marketing the Third Reich (Routledge, 2018).
- Federico Finchelstein, A Brief History of Fascist Lies (University of California Press, 2022).
- Alex Carey, Taking the Risk Out of Democracy: Corporate Propaganda versus Freedom and Liberty (The University of Illinois Press, 1996).
- Joseph Minton Amann and Tom Breuer, Fair and Balanced, My Ass!: An Unbridled Look at the Bizarre Reality of Fox News (Nation Books, 2007).
- Peter Hart, The Oh Really Factor: Unspinning Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly (Seven Stories Press, 2003).
- Al Franken, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right (Dutton/Penguin, 2003).
- John Dean, Conservatives Without Conscience (Viking Adult, 2006).
- Will Bunch, Tear Down This Myth: How the Reagan Legacy Has Distorted Our Politics and Haunts Our Future (Free Press, 2010).
- Deborah R. Jaramillo, Ugly War, Pretty Package: How CNN and Fox News Made the Invasion of Iraq High Concept (Indiana University Press, 2009).
- Eric Boehlert, Lapdogs: How the Press Lay Down for the Bush White House (Free Press, 2006).
- Andrew Marantz, Anti-Social: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation (Viking, 2019): “‘Antisocial’ is about ‘web-savvy bigots,’ ‘soft-brained conspiracists’ and ‘mere grifters or opportunists,’ but it’s also about Marantz’s searching attempt to understand people he describes as truly deplorable without letting his moral compass get wrecked.”
Having seen how well propaganda worked in the United States, despite the nation’s historic wealth, oligarchs became more extreme:
- Yochai Benkler, Robert Faris & Hal Roberts, Network Propaganda: Manipulation, Disinformation, and Radicalization in American Politics (Oxford University Press, 2018).
- Amanda Carpenter, Gaslighting America: Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us (Broadside Books, 2018).
- Cailin O'Connor & James Owen Weatherall, The Misinformation Age: How False Beliefs Spread (Yale University Press, 2018).
- Nathan Crick, ed., The Rhetoric of Fascism (University of Alabama Press, 2022).
- Grant Hamming & Natalie E. Phillips, Interrogating the Visual Culture of Trumpism (Routledge, 2024).
- David L. Swartz, The Academic Trumpists: Radicals Against Liberal Diversity (Routledge, 2025).
- The Washington Post Fact Checker Staff, Donald Trump and His Assault on Truth: The President's Falsehoods, Misleading Claims and Flat-Out Lies (Simon & Schuster, 2020).
- Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2018).
Artificial economic bubbles are notorious for leading to calamity:
- William Quinn (Author), John D. Turner, Boom and Bust: A Global History of Financial Bubbles (Cambridge University Press, 2020).
- Hannah Catherine Davies, Transatlantic Speculations: Globalization and the Panics of 1873 (Columbia University Press, 2018).
- Phillip G. Payne, Crash!: How the Economic Boom and Bust of the 1920s Worked (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2015).
- Christopher Knowlton, Bubble in the Sun: The Florida Boom of the 1920s and How It Brought On the Great Depression (Simon & Schuster, 2020): “Many paid for their sins, largely through crippling alcoholism, personal bankruptcy and extreme public humiliation.”
- David Llewellyn-Smith & Ross Garnaut, The Great Crash of 2008 (Melbourne University Press, 2009).
- Adam Tooze, Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World (Penguin Books, 2018).
- Paul Krugman, The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008 (W.W. Norton and Company, 2008).
Temperance:
In the 1920s the United States lived under a Constitutional Amendment that banned alcoholic beverages. Spurred by "temperance societies," this episode in history, ironically, exemplifies intemperance.
From the dark side:
Greed:
Technical and Analytical Readings
Photographs
Documentary and Educational Films
Imaginary
Fictional Narratives
In the meantime, while some sang, the rest talked together tumultuously all at once; it was no longer anything but noise. Tholomyès intervened. "Let us not talk at random nor too fast," he exclaimed. "Let us reflect, if we wish to be brilliant. Too much improvisation empties the mind in a stupid way. Running beer gathers no froth. No haste, gentlemen. Let us mingle majesty with the feast. Let us eat with meditation; let us make haste slowly. Let us not hurry. Consider the springtime; if it makes haste, it is done for; that is to say, it gets frozen. Excess of zeal ruins peach-trees and apricot-trees. Excess of zeal kills the grace and the mirth of good dinners. No zeal, gentlemen! [Victor Hugo, Les Misérables (1862), Volume I – Fantine; Book Third – In the Year 1817, Chapter VII, “The Wisdom of Tholomyés”.]
Tempering medieval justice:
Every city during the Middle Ages, and every city in France down to the time of Louis XII. had its places of asylum. These sanctuaries, in the midst of the deluge of penal and barbarous jurisdictions which inundated the city, were a species of islands which rose above the level of human justice. Every criminal who landed there was safe. There were in every suburb almost as many places of asylum as gallows. It was the abuse of impunity by the side of the abuse of punishment; two bad things which strove to correct each other. The palaces of the king, the hôtels of the princes, and especially churches, possessed the right of asylum. Sometimes a whole city which stood in need of being repeopled was temporarily created a place of refuge. Louis XI. made all Paris a refuge in 1467. [Victor Hugo, Notre-Dame de Paris, or, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831), Volume II, Book Ninth, Chapter II, “Hunchbacked, One Eyed, Lame”.]
Poetry
Loved a little, Worked a little…
Those were very fortunate people,
Who considered Love an obligation,
Or they just loved their task,
I remained busy all my life,
Loved a little, worked a little,
Sometimes love was a snag in the way of my work,
While sometimes duty didn’t allow me to love with passion,
Ultimately I got upset of the situation,
And left both my love and my work incomplete.
[Faiz Ahmed Faiz, “Loved a little, Worked a little”]
Two poems by John Milton express the value of balance:
From the dark side:
Music: Composers, artists, and major works
George Frideric Händel, L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato (The Cheerful, the Thoughtful, and the Moderate Man), HWV 55 (1740) (approx. 100-140’) (libretto), is a pastoral ode studying two alternating moods, or tempers. “The texts of Parts I and II are based on the two delightful companion poems L'Allegro and Il Penseroso written in the previous century by the 22-year-old John Milton. The first of these poems depicts the joys of the active or extroverted life, the second the joys of the contemplative or introverted life.” “. . . the piece honors an Enlightenment aesthetic of balance and self-control that still resonates today.” Live recorded performances are by Gabrieli Consort (McCreesh); and Nicholas McGegan at Harvard in 2016. Excellent performances on disc are by Monteverdi Choir & English Baroque Soloists (Gardiner); Bach Choir & Ensemble Orchestral de Paris (Nelson) in 2000; Paul McCreesh & Gabrieli Players in 2015; Orchester der J.S. Bach-Stiftung (Lutz) in 2017; and Les Arts Florissants (Christie) in 2022.
Béla Bartók, Piano Concerto No. 2, Sz 95, BB 101 (1931) (approx. 28’): “The overall architecture of the work is intricately planned and reveals the composer’s characteristic fascination with symmetrical patterns.” Top performances are by Anda & Fricsay in 1959, Rudolf Serkin & Szell, Pollini & Abbado in 1979, Bronfman & Salonen in 1993, Andsnes & Boulez in 2004, Schiff & Iván Fischer in 1996, Bavouzet & Noseda in 2010, Wang & Rattle in concert in 2017, and Aimard & Salonen in 2023.
Jean-Yves Thibaudet is a classical pianist who has taken a balanced approach to music. “From the very start of his career, he has delighted in music beyond the standard repertoire, from jazz to opera, including works which he has transcribed himself for the piano.” He “has the rare ability to combine poetic musical sensibilities and dazzling technical prowess.” Thibaudet is known for “elegant and insightful musicality . . .” “Without exception, his interpretations are always inspiringly original yet remain in keeping with the composer's intended spirit . . .” Here is a link to his releases.
Conductor Pierre Monteux was known for his elegance, refinement and balance. “To some observers, his conducting semmed almost effortless. His beat was small. He never indulged in histrionics. And yet, when in front of an orchestra, his authority was absolute. The music unfolded with the utmost subtlety of nuance. One orchestral section was always transparent to another.” Here are links to his playlists and of him conducting live.
Though they were written early in the Romantic era, Robert Schumann’s piano trios are more nearly like those of the twentieth century than they are like their contemporaneous works. In addition, because of Schumann’s inner turbulence, they are on the gray-dark side of temperance and balance. Listen to the works also for the balance among the instrumentalists, which Schumann preserved. “Schumann’s trios, like his symphonies, gravitate toward the middle in sound and substance. Neither the piano nor the violin use much of their higher registers, and Schumann being Schumann, there is no superficial brilliance in any of the parts.”
- Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 63 (1847) (approx. 29-33’), is the most highly regarded of the three. “From the opening bars of Robert Schumann’s Piano Trio No. 1, we are swept into a drama filled with soaring passion and turbulence. . . . Schumann composed the D minor Piano Trio in a single burst of creative energy during the summer of 1847.” “In spite of (or precisely because of) the erstwhile angst, the music steadily builds to a glorious ending that, like other Schumann conclusions, may propel you to your feet with an energetic shout of glory. The composite work is a definitive study in bi-polarity, perhaps a personal reflection of Schumann's own soul.” Top recorded performances are by Cortot, Thibaud & Casals in 1928; Gilels, Kogan & Rostropovich in 1958; Previn, Chung & Tortelier in 1978; Borodin Trio in 1989; Florestan Trio in 1998; Nicholas Argerich, Capuçon & Capuçon in 2006; Andsnes, Tetzlaff & Tetzlaff in 2009; Vienna Piano Trio in 2010; Melnikov, Faust & Queyras in 2014; and Trio Karénine in 2015.
- Piano Trio No. 2 in F Major, Op. 80 (1847) (approx. 27-32’): “The opening movement of the F-major Trio is athletic and optimistic, with a feeling of jovial bigness. The descending theme introduced just before the contrapuntally dense development is an allusion to one of Schumann’s songs, and the main theme of the slow movement is a cousin to that song-theme. The third movement is not a scherzo, but a sort of barcarolle in 'moderate tempo' . . .” Top recorded performances are by Beaux Arts Trio in 1966, Andsnes, Tetzlaff & Tetzlaff in 2009, Trio Karénine in 2016, Kungsbacka Piano Trio in 2020, and Trio Wanderer in 2021.
- Piano Trio No. 3 in G Minor, Op. 110 (1851) (approx. 24-28’): “The G-minor Trio explores darker, more passionate territory.” “Schumann the reader, the writer and the storyteller was also the great composer of character pieces, little tableaux like illustrated pages in a book with narrative suggestions and recurring dramatis personae. . . . The trio is sometimes criticized for its haphazardness and repetition yet it is studded with jewels and suffused with a personality that is so recognizably and purely Schumann's.” Top recorded performances are by Beaux Arts Trio in 1972, Borodin Trio in 1990, Andsnes, Tetzlaff & Tetzlaff in 2009, Benvenue Fortepiano Trio in 2010, and Horszowski Trio in 2019.
Johann Sebastian Bach, Cantata No. 211 in G Major, “Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht - Kaffeekantate” (Be Still, Stop Chattering, or Coffee Cantata), BWV 211 (1734) (approx. 26-29’) (lyrics), “. . . is essentially a miniature comic opera that tells the story of a disgruntled father, Schlendrian, who argues with his caffeine-obsessed daughter . . .”
“Counterpoint is the relationship between two or more melody lines that are played at the same time. These melodies are dependent on each other to create good-sounding harmonies, but also are independent in rhythm and contour.” “Counterpoint is a musical style of composition that employs more than one voice; however, rather than having a melody line and a harmony line, each voice is equally important in the composition and carries part of the melody. Counterpoint is a form of polyphony that creates a dialogue between the treble clef and the bass clef, and each contributes something meaningful to a joint conversation instead of one serving a supporting role to the other.” “Good counterpoint requires two qualities: (1) a meaningful or harmonious relationship between the lines (a ‘vertical’ consideration—i.e., dealing with harmony) and (2) some degree of independence or individuality within the lines themselves (a ‘horizontal’ consideration, dealing with melody).” Several Renaissance composers notably developed this style.
- Vicente Lusitano, Motets: “Vicente Lusitano’s name is familiar to specialists of the Renaissance as a key witness to the practice of improvised counterpoint . . .”
- Josquin des Prez, Motets and Chansons
- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, choral music
- Alexander Agricola, “A Secret Labyrinth” album
- Jacob Obrecht, Missa de Sancta Donatiano; Missa Sub Tuum Praesidium; Missa Maria Zart
- Heinrich Isaac, “Choralis Constantinus 1508” album
- Adrian Willaert, “Adriaan Willaert and Italy” album; Missa Christus resurgens
- Cipriano de Rore, Il quinto libro di Madrigali (1568)
- Orlando di Lasso (Orlande de Lassus), Psalmi Davidis Pœnitentiales; motets and chansons
- Carlo Gesualdo, Música sacra a 5 voces
- Ludwig Daser, “Polyphonic Masses” (2023) (56’), album by Huelgas Ensemble with Paul Van Nevel
Two minimalists have highlighted the idea of symmetry:
To my ears, twentieth century piano trios outside the lingering tradition of French romanticism do not convey as clear a sense of attentive listening as do their nineteenth century counterparts; they seem distracted by the concerns of their era. Still, they strike a scrupulous balance between the three instruments.
- Josef Suk, Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 2 (1891) (approx. 15-17’)
- Vitĕzslav Novák, Piano Trio quasi una balata in D minor, Op. 27 (1902) (approx. 16-17’)
- Anton Arensky, Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 32 (1894) (approx. 30-32’)
- Arensky, Piano Trio No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 67 (1905) (approx. 27’)
- Dmitri Shostakovich, Piano Trio No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 8, “Poème” (1923) (approx. 12’)
- Mieczysław Weinberg, Piano Trio, Op. 24 (1945) (approx. 30’)
- Lera Auerbach, Piano Trio No. 1, Op. 28 (1996) (approx. 12’)
Other works:
- Pierre-Octave Ferroud, Serenade (1927) (approx. 9’)
- Benjamin Frankel, Symphony No. 8, Op. 53 (1971) (approx. 26’)
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Il Sogno di Scipione (Scipio's Dream), K126 (1771) (approx. 83-108’) (libretto): Scipio must choose between wealth and stability, personified by Fortuna and Costanza.
- Walter Douglas Munn, piano music: Munn “was a mathematician (with a Ph.D. from Cambridge University) by profession, but also an accomplished pianist, and judging by the evidence on this CD, a composer with a good ear and a keen sense of balance and structure.”
- Alban Berg, String Quartet, Op. 3 (1910) (approx. 21-22’), “was probably the first extended composition consistently based on symmetrical pitch relations.”
- In Richard Strauss’ opera Daphne, Op. 82 (1937) (approx 94-114’) (libretto), a young woman is obsessed with nature, to the exclusion of everything else. Here is a more recent recording.
LPT is a ten-piece Afro-Cuban salsa band whose style could best be described as one of controlled energy. Though their rhythms drive forward consistently, they always remain controlled and balanced. Their albums include: “Se Quema el Mundo” (2021) (45’) and “Sin Parar” (2020) (40’).
Albums:
From the dark side:
Compositions from the dark side:
Music: songs and other short pieces
Visual Arts
Shadow side:
Film and Stage
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