An American Maverick Turns The Symphony On Its Head

[christopher3393]

From: An American Maverick Turns The Symphony On Its Head : Deceptive Cadence : NPR

 

Strong final paragraph:

 

"Ives is still too much for some listeners, who cannot fathom the mixture of familiar and eccentric, the wild dissonance juxtaposed with simple harmonies, the unique sense of humor. But for me and many others Ives is the greatest American composer and the Fourth the greatest American symphony, maybe the only one that in its depth and breadth belongs on the list of the world's great symphonies. In all his serious pieces, even the most uproarious, Ives was a religious composer, pointing our gaze upward and inward, but there is nothing narrowly sectarian about him. In his all-embracing way he was looking for the deepest part of our spirit, the part that is beyond nation, race, or sect. In the modern world, alone with ourselves, he is a beacon for that condition. Everybody, Ives said, has to find his own way up the mountain. He is an eternal example of that." ---Jan Swafford, author of Charles Ives: A Life in Music, a composer and a composition teacher at Boston Conservatory

 

Any opinions and/or recording recommendations?

[burnspbesq]

Marc-Andre Hamelin's recording of the "Concord" Sonata for Hyperion is a keeper.

 

I also like the Hahn/Lisitsa recordings of the violin sonatas on DG.

[christopher3393]

Marc-Andre Hamelin's recording of the "Concord" Sonata for Hyperion is a keeper.

 

I also like the Hahn/Lisitsa recordings of the violin sonatas on DG.

 

+1 Hahn/Lisitsa. When I first heard this I was floored. I had never heard these compositions before, and that was no doubt part of it. But I think the playing is also really good. Thanks for the Hamelin suggestion. After previewing it on Hyperion's site, it's on my list.

[LBob]

The Naxos Ives series is a keeper IMHO. Especially the 2nd Symphony.