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BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Charles Ives (1874-1954) was probably one of the most psycho-
intellectually brilliant, imaginative and flexible Americans to
ever "walk the land of freedom." A graduate of Yale, he became a
multi-millionaire in the American insurance industry, introducing
brilliant innovations within that industry. He also, unlike a
few composers, found the time and the money (being a shrewd and
practical businessman) to get married and have children.
His accomplishments for which he is best known, however, are
those in the field of music. At the time of its composition,
Ives' music was probably the most radically modern in history,
and by itself had enough material to serve as the foundation of
modern 20th century music. For example, at the turn of the
century, this eccentric composer created band works featuring
multiple melodies of multiple time signatures opposing and
complimenting each other within the same piece. Ives was also a
revolutionary atonal composer, who created, essentially without
precedent, many atonal works that not only pre-date those of
Schoenberg, but are just as sophisticated, and arguably even more
so, than those of the 12-tone serialist.
Among those atonal works was his second, "Concord" piano sonata,
one of the finest, and some would say the finest, works of
classical music by an American. It reflects the musical
innovations of its creator, featuring revolutionary atmospheric
effects, unprecedented atonal musical syntax, and surprising
technical approaches to playing the piano, such as pressing down
on over 10 notes simultaneously using a flat piece of wood.
What a mischievious creative genius!
And yet, despite the musically innovative nature of these works,
from a thematic standpoint, they are strictly 19th century.
Ives, like American band-composer Sousa, consciously infused
patriotic or "blue-blood" themes into his pieces. In the
"Concord," he attempted to project, within the music, the 19th
century philosophical ideas of the American Transcendentalists,
who obviously had a great impact on his world-view.
Thus, while other atonal composers such as Schoenberg or Berg
attempted to infuse their music with "20th century" themes of
hostility, violence and estrangement within their atonal music,
the atonal music of Ives is, from a thematic standpoint, really
quite "tonal."
Ives wrote the following essays as a (very big) set of program
notes to accompany his second piano sonata. Here, he puts forth
his elaborate theory of music and what it represents, and
discusses Transcendental philosophy and its relation to music.
The essays explain Ives' own philosophy of and understanding of
music and art. They also serve as an analysis of music itself as
an artform, and provide a critical explanation of the "Concord"
and the role that the philosophies of Emerson, Hawthorne, Thoreau
and the Alcotts play in forming its thematic structure.
Content of BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH [Charles Ives' essays: "Essays Before a Sonata"
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