~The Charles Ives Society
I heard a Charles Ives piece for the first time today - Sonata No. 4 Children's day at the Camp Meeting. It was played beautifully by Dawn Wohn, violinist, and Ellen Hwango, pianist. The piece was very lively, discordant in places, and certainly elaborate.
Ives was born in Danbury Connecticut in 1874, the son of a bandmaster. He had music lessons from an early age but after graduating from college pursued a career in insurance. He was quite successful in insurance, but continued composing music until 1925. His collection is prolific, comprised of 114 songs, 4 symphonies, and much more (including the sonata I heard today).
His music was largely ignored in his lifetime (he died in 1954). His experimenting with compositions was not compatible with the musical standards of the time. His major orchestral works were extremely complex, required unexpected combinations of instruments often in large numbers. Ives wanted to be popularly accepted, but had no intention of compromising his music (that is one of the reasons he chose a career in insurance).
His music gained some notice in the 1940s when Lou Harrison edited and promoted Ives' Symphony No. 3. The piece won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1947. Ives, unimpressed by the honor, gave the prize money to Harrison.
Note: I did not particularly care for the piece, it was discordant to my ear - this is no comment on the artists performing the work, they did a fantastic job. Also playing a Mozart piece immediately following only served to highlight how much classical music varies, and why Mozart is loved by all, and I never heard of Charles Ives until today.*
Something else I learned: Ives is now currently regarded as an American Original, a composer working in a uniquely American style.
*I am not a music critic! The comments in the note are purely my opinion.
Interesting. Not ever having studied music, I find that the best way to appreciate music is by becoming familiar with it...i.e. listening to it many many times. The DSO performed a 'discordant' piece one time that I was in the audience, and the orchestra members looked as if they might be having a good time. Wonder if that's why some of this might be so popular.
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