The Life of Charles IvesCharles Ives grew up in the nineteenth century and composed chiefly in the twentieth. His nostalgia for a simpler life in the New England country town of his youth is revealed in his frequent musical quotation of songs of that earlier time: parlor and patriot songs, hymns and gospel music. He had learned these songs early in his life through his father, a village bandmaster, who remained the most important influence in his life and music. Ives absorbed these influences within an innovative and modern musical style of composition. Stuart Feder's account of Ives's life clarifies the complexities of the man and his music, while his straightforward discussion of this uniquely autobiographical music in turn illuminates the narrative. |
Contents
White City green hills | 1 |
American Arcady | 9 |
The greatest war and remembrance | 22 |
Born in America | 37 |
The Gilded Age was the golden age | 45 |
Bright college years and dreary | 61 |
Manhood at Yale and Poverty Flat | 75 |
Giving up musictaking up business | 88 |
Ives in love | 103 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Adirondacks Alcott American Aunt Amelia band became Boston Common Brewster Burkholder C. E. Ives called Camp Meeting Charles Ives Charles Ives's Charlie Charlie's child childhood church Civil collaboration composer composer's composition Concord Sonata Connecticut Cowell creative Danbury David Dvořák earlier Edith Emerson Essays event experience Fourth Symphony George Edward Ives George Ives George Ives's George's Gilded Age Harmony Twichell Harmony's Hartford Hartsdale Haven Hawthorne Henry Cowell Holidays Symphony Horatio Parker Housatonic at Stockbridge humor hymn tune Ibid idea Ives wrote Ives's Ives's music Iveses Joe Twichell Keene Valley Kirkpatrick later living Lou Harrison Main Street manuscript memory Memos Mollie movement musician Myrick orchestra organist Pell's Perlis piano piece play Poverty Flat Putnam's Camp reminiscent seemed sing song sound spiritual Stockbridge theme Third Symphony Thoreau tion town Universe Symphony violin voice White words write Yale York