Ives: Symphony No. 1

On this CD:

1. Symphony No. 1, for orchestra in D minor, S. 1 (K. 1A1)
Composed by Charles Ives
Performed by American Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Leopold Stokowski

2. Orchestral Set No. 1: Three Places in New England, for orchestra, S. 7 (K. 1A5)
Composed by Charles Ives
Performed by American Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Leopold Stokowski

3. Robert Browning Overture, for orchestra, S. 27 (K. 1B6)
Composed by Charles Ives
Performed by American Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Leopold Stokowski

Tracks:

Symphony No. 1: I. Allegro - Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphony No. 1: II. Adagio molto (sostenuto) - Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphony No. 1: III. Scherzo: Vivace - Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphony No. 1: IV. Allegro molto - Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphony No. 4: I. Prelude: Maestoso - The Cleveland Orchestra
Symphony No. 4: II. Allegretto - The Cleveland Orchestra
Symphony No. 4: III. Fugue: Andante moderato - The Cleveland Orchestra
Symphony No. 4: IV. Very Slowly - Largo maestoso - The Cleveland Orchestra
Orchestral Set No. 2: I. An Elegy To Our Forefathers - The Cleveland Orchestra
Orchestral Set No. 2: II. The Rockstrewn Hills Join In The People's Outdoor Meeting - The Cleveland Orchestra
Orchestral Set No. 2: III. From Hanover Square North, At The End Of A Tragic Day, The Voices Of The People Again Arose - The Cleveland Orchestra

Tracks:

Symphony No. 2: I. Andante moderato - Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphony No. 2: II. Allegro - Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphony No. 2: III. Adagio cantabile - Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphony No. 2: IV. Lento maestoso - Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphony No. 2: V. Allegro molto vivace - Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphony No. 3 'The Camp Meeting': I. Old Folks Gatherin' - Academy Of St Martin - In - The - Fields
Symphony No. 3 'The Camp Meeting': II. Children's Play - Academy Of St Martin - In - The - Fields
Symphony No. 3 'The Camp Meeting': III. Communion - Academy Of St Martin - In - The - Fields
Three Places In New England (Orchestral Set No. 1): I. The 'St Gaudens' In Boston Common (Col. Robert Gould Shaw And His Colored Regiment) - The Cleveland Orchestra
Three Places In New England (Orchestral Set No. 1): II. Putnam's Camp, Redding, Connecticut - The Cleveland Orchestra
Three Places In New England (Orchestral Set No. 1): III. The Housatonic At Stockbridge - The Cleveland Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Amazing.......2003-10-11

This 2-CD set is really good, and contains his complete numbered symphonies (except, Holidays Symphony [No. 5]) and Orchestral Sets...

First Symphony (D minor!) is a study work, written in school years, so he didn't abandon the principles of harmony(!)

Second Symphony (F Major, except the last chord of music!) contains themes of some famous composers (Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Dvorak) and last chord is hysterical of course...

Third Symphony is a winner of Pulitzer, and written for a chamber orchestra

And Fourth Symphony is one of the best compositions by Ives.
Especially 2nd movement is terrific...He used some popular tunes and marches of USA (as usual!) and divide 2 part to the all orchestra. Even so, this movement requires two conductors for orchestra only (!). Orchestration is amazing (ex. quarter-tone piano, more two normal pianos, bells, gongs, large woodwinds, 6 horns, 6 trumpets, 4 trombones, 2 tubas etc...) and choir requires...

All performers are very good. Especially Dohnanyi and his Cleveland Orchestra (in 4th Sym.), Zubin Mehta and his Los Angeles PO (in 2nd Symphony) are excellent...

In other words, this set is a must have for all Ives fans.
Highly recommended...

A great set.......2003-08-18

Ives' four symphonies beautifully summarize his musical development. Unlike Brahms' four, they are not all fully mature works. Each one freezes a moment in his musical development. The first is student work, much in the manner of Dvorak and Tchaikovsky (with paraphrases of each), and the most vibrant American symphony written to that time. The Second does what many musical nationalists of Ives' day thought an American symphony should do -- apply native themes to European models, but as much fun as the result is, it was a dead end for the composer, and he never attempted anything like it again. Mehta and the LA Philharmonic give energetic and fully romantic readings of each, which came as a pleasant surprise to an long-time Ives fan who thought he'd heard all these works have to offer.

The Third comes closer to the mark. It consists of American themes woven together with ingenious counterpoint into wholly original forms. It is a jewel, and just the kind of pretty, low-key piece that brings out the best in Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.

The Fourth is the masterpiece, the work Ives struggled toward all his life. Dohnanyi and the Cleveland Orchestra do a creditable job that stands up well to the competition from Stokowski and Tilson Thomas. I especially liked the engineering in the second and fourth movements, which captures some details others don't. (I'd never heard the wind machine before.)

As a bonus, you also get Ives' great orchestral sets, both in fine performances with Dohnanyi. The No. 1, better known as Three Places in New England, is the more famous, but the Second is sublime.

This reasonably priced set is a great, convenient way to acquire some of Ives' best music all at once.

Beautiful Music.......2001-05-13

I agree with Daniel. I, too, had been looking for a compilation of all of Ives' Symphonies, to no avail. Thankfully, Decca has released this gorgeous compilation of Ives' four symphonies, as well as including two orchestral sets.

Ives was a genius at creating uniquely beautiful harmony. And this impeccable set of recordings is a must for any Ives admirer.

Do Not Hesitate!.......2001-03-20

For quite some time, I had been looking for just such a compilation of all the Ives symphonies. When I saw this newly released compilation from Decca, I bought it without a moment's hesitation. And I am very glad I did: This set has very quickly become one of my favorite recordings. Not only the four symphonies, but also the two great orchestral sets 1 and 2 are included as well. Unquestionably, it is these two orchestral sets that make this compilation such an outstanding bargain and, really, an absolute MUST HAVE for anyone even remotely interested in modern classical music.

Each of the symphonies is very well performed, though none of these are what I would call the Definitive Recordings. However, the Mehta performance of the First is exceedingly good, and I don't really see how it could possibly be improved on. . . Dohnanyi's performance of the Fourth is a little restrained for my tastes, but it is nonetheless an interesting interpretation. Dohnanyi more than proves himself a able interpreter of Ives in his performances of the two orchestral sets, which are, without a doubt, the highlights of this album. J. P. Burkholder's liner notes add some very interesting insights into each of the works.

Tracks:

Symphony No. 2: 1. Andante moderato
Symphony No. 2: 2. Allegro
Symphony No. 2: 3. Adagio cantabile
Symphony No. 2: 4. Lento maestoso
Symphony No. 2: 5. Allegro molto vivace
The Gong On The Hook And Ladder Or Firemen's Parade On Main Street: Allegro moderato
Tone Roads No. 1: Allegro
'A Set Of Three Short Pieces': Hymn: Largo Cantabile
'Three Outdoor Scenes': Hallowe'en
Central Park In The Dark: Molto adagio
The Unanswered Question: Largo molto sempre

Customer Reviews:

The perfect introduction to Ives........2006-08-04

In brief, this may be the best single album to jump start the novice on Ives -- and a great ride for the already converted among us. The comprehensive reviews in this thread say it all; I won't repeat. Let me add this, though: the earlier, excellent recording on Columbia (SONY) coupled with the 3rd Symphony, has a cut in the 4th movement, which Lenny opens up in this more recent recording. So, if you have the earlier recording this one is still something of a 'must have.' Buy it for that 'alternate' library of special recordings, like the Tatrai set of Bartok Quartets, Furtwangler's Beethoven Symphonies from the war years, Toscanini's recordings of OTELLO and FALSTAFF -- and Benny Goodman live at Carnegie Hall, 1938.

An Answer to the Unanswered Question.......2006-03-14

Often faced with the question from friends who are just beginning a classical music collection and want to try the 'American school' - the question being which of the many Ives recordings is a solid groundwork for understanding and appreciating Ives' importance - this is the recording I recommend. Despite the now gratefully multiple recordings of all of the works on this CD (especially the Symphony No. 2), this collection surveys Charles Ives well.

Leonard Bernstein was a champion for Ives performances both in this country and abroad. This recording shows why. His approach to Ives' work is not only diligent in his preparation of the orchestra, but it also programs a spectrum that allows each of the works to enhance the others. Here the Symphony No. 2 begins the survey, finding within the work the humor and nostalgia that abounds. And as if to recapitulate Ives' thoughts, Bernstein follows with the quirky 'The Gong on the Hook & Ladder or Firemen's Parade on Main Street', the 'Tone Roads No. 1, for chamber orchestra', a perfectly infectious 'A Set of 3 Short Pieces, for string quartet, double bass & piano',
Hallowe'en, for string quartet, piano & optional drum, the luminous 'Central Park in the Dark', and of course ends with the now American iconic 'The Unanswered Question (I & II).'

This recording may be dated in sound, but the performances remain definitive. And as for a fine introduction to both the well-known side of Ives as well as the slightly esoteric aspect of the genius' music, this well curated selection fits the bill. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, March 06

brilliant idiosyncrasies.......2004-05-20

Ives was an uncommon, refined distillate. Much like Wallace Stevens, another Connecticut Yankee insurance specialist thoroughly out of step with his environment, Ives's structural and thematic advances foretold radical new worlds. Many liner notes to recent Ives releases talk about his work as if it were like most other orchestral offerings--in reality, few touch upon how cataclysmic and inventive his realizations were.

Bernstein, conversely, grasps Ives in totality and advances the cause of this frighteningly bold new music, both in practice and in writing at length about these scores and the Protean imagination that engendered them. Bravo, Lenny.

Great Performances Of Ives From Bernstein And the NYPO.......2003-09-02

Towards the end of Leonard Bernstein's career he made several distinguished recordings of 20th Century American classical music for Deutsche Grammophon featuring the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. This splendid recording of Ives's 2nd Symphony, several other orchestra works and chamber pieces is yet another remarkable testament to Leonard Bernstein's empathy and understanding of 20th Century American classical music composed by such distinguished composers as Charles Ives, and, of course, Aaron Copland. No other conducter truly understood 20th Century American music as well as Bernstein. Here he leads the New York Philharmonic in one thrilling performance after another, starting with Ives's 2nd Symphony in a swaggering, convincing interpretation. He follows with a hauntingly beautiful "Central Park in the Dark" and ends with an appropriately brooding "The Unanswered Question"; between the symphony and these orchestral works are sandwiched some fine chamber pieces too. Although these were recorded at live performances, the sound quality is that from a studio. Absolutely a necessary CD for admirers of Charles Ives, Leonard Bernstein, the New York Philharmonic and anyone interested in 20th Century American classical music.

Uniquely American Ives Recordings.......2002-08-09

This is great American music in the truest sense. I was nurtured on movie soundtracks and scores from the likes of Bernard Herrmann, Dimitri Tiomkin, Alex North and others. As we have lost many of these composers and music that they may have left us through the years, I have been methodically looking at American "Twentieth Century" composers from the "classical" arena to fill that void from that great era. I discovered Charles Ives after reading up on Aaron Copland and his foray into many diverse areas of musical composition. One thing leads to another. Ives' Symphony No. 2 seems to have come up very frequently. It certainly doesn't have the melodic quality of Copland yet it does seem to have roots resulting in American musical motifs very strangely orchestrated resulting in some twisted profoundness. What attracts me is how the music almost seems as if it were composed for film. The technical qualities of this recording are marvelous. Leonard Bernstein's intuitive and vibrant interpretation of this music is effectively felt.

Average customer rating:

A superb evening of Ives, the best in decades
Something of a disappointment
a wonderful summary
Ives is Ives
The Mood of Time

Ives: An American Journey
Michael Tilson Thomas , Charles Ives , San Francisco Symphony and Chorus , and Thomas Hampson
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Ives: Symphony No. 2 & Symphony No. 3/Bernstein Discusses Charles Ives
Charles Ives: Symphony No. 2 / The Gong on the Hook & Ladder, or Firemen's Parade on Main Street / Tone Roads No. 1 / Hymn: Largo Cantabile, for String Orchestra / Hallowe'en / Central Park in the Dark / The Unanswered Question - Leonard Bernstein / New York Philharmonic
Ives: Holidays Symphony
Ives: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4/Hymns
Ives: The Symphonies / Orchestral Sets 1 & 2

ASIN: B00005UED6
Release Date: 2002-02-05

Tracks:

From The Steeples And The Mountains
The Things Our Fathers Loved
The Pond (Remembrance)
Memories
Charlie Rutlage
The Circus Band
The "St. Gaudens" In Boston Common
Putnam's Camp
The Housatonic At Stockbridge
In Flanders Fields
They Are There!
Tom Sails Away
Fugue From Symphony No. 4
Psalm 100
Serenity
General William Booth Enters Into Heaven
The Unanswered Question

Amazon.com

Michael Tilson Thomas is an expert Ivesian. His 1970 recording debut was with Three Places in New England, still available from DG. Here, he redoes the work with the interpolation of a chorus singing the poem on which the last movement, "The Housatonic at Stockbridge," is based--unusual, not as effective as the orchestral version, but fascinating. Tilson Thomas cites Ives's desire for performers to creatively shape his music, and this disc vindicates his editorial liberties by making Ives's surprising music even more unpredictable. The choral contributions are fine, too, but baritone Thomas Hampson steals the show with seven songs that display his empathy with Ives's varied styles and the range of the composer's music, from cowboy songs to touching elegies. The way Hampson bellows a Brooklynese "Coytin" (for "Curtain") at the end of the first song of Memories is worth the price of purchase. Here's a disc to be entertained by, and moved as well. The recording was made at SFS concerts, and we're privileged to share the audience's experience. A must-have for Ivesians and the curious. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

A superb evening of Ives, the best in decades.......2005-12-18

Tilson Thomas's PR team should put out a ocntract on me; I rarely express enthusiasm for him. So let me bow especially low to this superlative 1999 concert of Ives as viewed from his most melodic, least revolutionary perspective. This is Ives as recording angel of ice cream socials and Fourth of July parades.

In the Seventies MTT made good but not exceptioanl recordings of Ives's major orchestral works. Here he concentrates on songs and orchestral bits and pieces, except for the extended Three Places in New England, which is x-rayed with exceptionally detailed sonics. Thomas Hampson secures his position as the best singer of American songs with highly dramatized, unbuttoned singing--his Charlie Rutlage, a Texas-accented elegy for a fallen cowpoke, and the familiar General William Booth Enters Into Heaven are instant classics. Chorus and orchestra enter in the spirit of bumptious good cheer, and overall a good time was had by all, even though the crowd was sent home sobered up by the supernaturally melancholy Unanswered Question, which never fails to send a shiver through the listener.

Something of a disappointment.......2004-01-12

I was very much looking forward to the latest Ives recording from Michael Tilson Thomas, whose reputation as an Ives specialist began with his first recording of the Three Pieces in New England, made in 1970 when the conductor was only in his mid-20s. That this disc came some way from living up to my expectations is perhaps due to a combination of over-optimism, uneven performances and what I feel is a less-than-ideal selection of works.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the opening of the disc: a fine performance of the craggy, dissonant brass and percussion work From the Steeples and the Mountains, a highly impressive miniature which swells from its dissonant opening to a climax where sound seems to echo off in all directions. However, I'm less convinced with the rest of the purely-orchestral program: this reading of Ives' classic Three Pieces of New England lacks a little of the gracious flowing lines of Tilsom Thomas' earlier 1970 recording; in addition the experiment of adding a recently-found choral part to the finale merely demonstrates how right the composer was to leave it out. For his extract from the Fourth Symphony, Tilson Thomas chooses the slow movement fugue. I am guessing this choice was to emphasise the "accessible Ives", but this is by far the weakest movement of the work (it was in fact arranged from the first movement of Ives' then 20-year-old First String Quartet), and even a good performance--as here--can't entirely hide up its conservative, almost academic writing. That perennial Ives classic The Unanswered Question, which closes the work, is an infinitely finer work, but unfortunately Tilson Thomas cannot match the transcendence of his own--distinctly slower--Chicago Symphony Orchestra recording from 1986.

The rest of the disc concentrates on various incarnations of Ives' bewildering variety of songs, and as a result comes into partial competition with what is to my mind one of the finest Ives discs around--a recording of selections from the songs and the sets for orchestra with Susan Narucki, Sanford Sylvan and Music/Projects London under Richard Bernas (if you're an Ives fan and don't have this disc, I suggest you rectify this immediately). The songs are extremely uneven in quality--ranging from trivial kitsch to outright masterpieces--and their styles vary just as much.

Most of these songs appear here in orchestral garb, but in three of them Tilson Thomas accompanies Thomas Hampson's baritone on the piano himself. The salon song The Things our Fathers Loved is one of the examples of irreparable kitsch, but rather better is the bipartite Memories which switches from camp to sentimental at its midpoint. In contrast, Tom Sails Away is one of Ives' finest songs, but in this recording its effect is compromised by Tilson Thomas' rather insensitive playing in the piano part.

The Pond (Remembrance)--another of Ives' finest songs--appears here in a version for women's chorus and orchestra. This transcendental homage to the composer's father is in fact much more subtle and rhythmically complex than it appears at first, and it has appeared in a bewildering variety of versions (three of which appear on the Bernas disc mentioned earlier). Similarly restrained in means is John Adams' careful baritone-and-orchestra version of the touching song Serenity: it's well-judged and well-sung here, and Adams avoids the pitfalls that David Del Tredici walks into in his entirely unnecessary orchestration of In Flanders Fields.

By contrast, Charlie Rutlage is an absurdly over-the-top piece of cowboy kitsch that disintegrates into violent discords as the words describe Charlie's death: this voice-and-orchestra version isn't half as good as Sanford Sylvan's voice-and-piano reading on the Bernas disc. Similarly eccentric is The Circus Band, a bizarrely outrageous confection for chorus and orchestra (based on an early orchestral march) that lacks some of the lustre of similar Ives effects. The bizarre Ives is also at work They are There! This near-hysterial rant (not actually as militaristic as it sounds at first) is heard in a chorus-and-orchestral version that lacks something of the sheer outrageousness of Ives' own voice-and-piano recording (even though Tilson Thomas takes an effort to try to copy the style of that reading).

The chorus-and-organ setting of Psalm 100 ("Make a joyful noise unto the Lord") is an intriguing piece of writing that well merits its exposure here, though it can't match General William Booth Enters Into Heaven for sheer unbuttoned craziness. This setting of Vachel Lindsay's poem, heard here in a version for baritone, chorus and orchestra is one of Ives' most endearing creations: its remarkable mix of modernism, bizarre wit and sentimentality, topped off with the sudden introduction of a hymn tune at the climax, is typical of the composer at his best. Unfortunately, this performance misses out on the last edge of hysterical ecstasy that is so necessary for the work to have its full impact (in my opinion it's easier to bring off in the voice-and-piano version).

I realise I am perhaps being overcritical of this disc, but it seems to me that a disc by such a fine Ivesian as Tilson Thomas should be held to a very high standrd. Though I was personally disappointed by this recording, it may well appeal to those who know little of the composer: however, I fear that Ives specialists are likely to be underwhelmed.

a wonderful summary.......2002-12-21

Charles Ives has always been a puzzle to me. From time to time I have listened to his music with a complete lack of resolution. Did I actually like it? Is it just an American marketing phenomena? Would we hear as much of him if he were, say, an Australian composer? I am still totally uncertain, but I love this CD for its variety of styles, variety of forces and general good humour. If you are immediately dismissive of Ives, can I suggest you start with the two songs called 'Memories'? Have a listen to this CD with an open mind - you may not like it all - even most of it - but one thing is certain and that is that this is not run-of-the-mill music.

Ives is Ives.......2002-06-15

I grew up on movie soundtracks and scores from the likes of Bernard Herrmann, Dimitri Tiomkin, Alex North and others. We have lost many of these composers but not their music they have left us through the years. That's a gift to all of us. I have been slowly looking at "20th century" composers from the "classical" arena to enhance my listening pleasure and my nature or "quest" to always seek out music that I am certain I must have passed over. I discovered Charles Ives after reading up further on Aaron Copland and his foray into many diverse areas of musical composition. One door opens another. Ives' name and compositions seem to have come up frequently. So far Charles Ives' music doesn't have the melodic quality of Copland or many contemporaries yet it does seem to have roots resulting in American musical motifs very strangely orchestrated resulting in some twisted profoundness. What attracts me is how Ives' music almost seems as if it were composed for film. Ives is Ives as I have found out. I enjoy this recording. It is strange, contemplative and definitely esoteric. Abrupt turns abound but that is the strength of Ives.

The Mood of Time.......2002-06-15

This collection of Ives compositions is exceptional. This CD makes for very good listening. I play it when I am alone in the car. The pensive music realy captures the mood of time.

Average customer rating:

Great Orchestral Melodies

Manufacturer: Intersound Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

'Solomon': Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba
'The Four Seasons': The Spring: Allegro
Canon In D
Orchestra Suite No.2: Minuet And Badinerie
Bach: Allegro
Symphony No.104: Adagio; Allegro
Divertimento For Strings, No.1: Allegro
Piano Concerto No.5: Adagio un poco mosso
'The Ruins Of Athens': Turkish March
Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Romanze: Andante
Marche Militaire No.1
'The Hebrides' ('Fingla's Cave'): Overture
'The Valkyrie': Ride Of The Valkyries

Tracks:

Slavonic Dances: No. 1: Presto
Slavonic Dances: No. 3: Poco Allegro
Slavonic Dances: No. 7: Allegro Assai
Slavonic Dances: No. 8: Presto
Coronation March
Entry Of The Gladiators
Serenade For Strings: Waltz
Samson And Delilah: Bacchanale
Piano Concerto No. 2: Adagio sostenuto
Russian And Ludmilla: Overture
Also sprach Zarathustra: Introduction
Symphonie Fantastique: March To The Scaffold
On The Beautiful, Blue Danube
The Firebird: The Palace Of Kashchei And His Enchantments Vanish - Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Tracks:

'Pictures at an Exhibition': Promenade
'Pictures at an Exhibition': Gnomes
'Pictures at an Exhibition': The Hut On Fowl's Legs (Baba Yaga)
'Pictures at an Exhibition': The Great Gate Of Kiev
A Night On Bald Mountain
'The Planets': Mars: The Bringer Of War
'The Pines Of Rome': The Pines Of The Appian Way
Pavan For A Dead Princess
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
'The Three-Cornered Hat': Dance Of The Miller's Wife
Scheherazade: Festival At Baghda; The Sea; The Ship Goes To Pieces Against A Rock Surmounted By A Bronze Warrior

Tracks:

Fanfare For The Common Man
'Appalachian Spring': Variations On A Shaker Melody
'Candide': Overture
'West Side Story': Suite: I Feel Pretty; Maria; Something's Coming; Tonight; One Hand, One Heart; Cool; America
Rhapsody In Blue
Adagio For Strings
'America': Variations
'Rodeo': Hoe-down
Pomp And Circumstance: March No. 1
'Gayane': Sabre Dance
'Lieutenant Kije': Troika
'The Love Of Three Oranges': March
'Hary Janos': The Viennese Musical Clock

Ives: Symphony No. 1; Three Places in New England

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Ives: Symphony No. 1 is unjustly underrated, and Ormandy captures it

Ives: Symphony No. 1; Three Places in New England

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ives: Symphony No4; Symphony No2
Ives: Symphony No. 2; The Unanswered Question
Shostakovich: Symphony No.15 & Sonata No.2
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ASIN: B00005YISZ
Release Date: 2002-01-29

Tracks:

Symphony No. 1 In D Minor: I. Allegro
Symphony No. 1 In D Minor: II. Adagio Molto (Sostenuto)
Symphony No. 1 In D Minor: III. Scherzo. Vivace
Symphony No. 1 In D Minor: IV. Allegro Molto
Three Places In New England: I. The 'Saint Gaudens' In Boston Common
Three Places In New England: II. Putnam's Camp, Redding, Connecticut
Three Places In New England: III. The Housatonic At Stockbridge
Robert Browning Overture

Customer Reviews:

Ives: Symphony No. 1 is unjustly underrated, and Ormandy captures it.......2006-08-02

Written at Yale for a grade, Ives: Symphony No. 1 is one of the most consistently underrated of his works. Yes, the constant key changes are a bit of a joke, but for sheer exuberance, nothing else tops it. Horatio Parker must have loved it, and it deserved an Honors, I should think.

Robert Browning is highly experimental and densely textured in the manner of Symphony No. 4, and Stokowski's recording is a sure bet for truth. Browning, the poet, was not Emerson, the mystic. Such an emotional reading cannot be affected, but there is no comparison to the thrilling dizzyness of the First Symphony's final movement.

Ormandy's Three places in New England is also a classic recording. While Ives' Unanswered Question has figured in works from the movie Dead Man to John Adams' elegiac The Transmigration of Souls, Three Places is much less well known.

It's quaint New Englandisms border on the tone poems of Vaughn-Williams (The Housatonic at Stockbridge) while remaining faithful to the bandmaster experiments of his father (Circus Band March).

If none of this makes any sense to you, then just go back to that Symphony No. 1 and its preposterous series of key changes. It always makes me laugh, is never corny and truly showcases the instruments of the modern symphony orchestra. It's not Mahler exactly but just as sublime.

Charles Ives: Emerson Concerto; Symphony No. 1

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Charlie Done Right. Part III.

Charles Ives: Emerson Concerto; Symphony No. 1

Manufacturer: Naxos American
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Charles Ives: Piano Sonata No. 2 'Concord'; The Celestial Railroad
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Ives: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-4
Charles Ives: Three Quarter-Tone Pieces; Five Take-offs; Hallowe'en; Sunrise

ASIN: B0000CDJKI
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Tracks:

Movement I
Movement II
Movement III
Movement IV
Allegro Con Moto
Adagio Molto
Scherzo
Allegro Molto

Customer Reviews:

Charlie Done Right. Part III........2003-11-01

Superficially, this new Naxos release of Ives's 1st Symphony and the premiere recording of his Emerson Concerto resembles an earlier Naxos release of his 2nd Symphony and Robert Browning Overture (a review of which I gave the sobriquet "Charlie done right"). The resemblance is in the pairing of an "accessible" Ives work with one more "knotty." In each case, the symphony receives a performance using a new critical edition (by Jonathan Elkus in that earlier release and by James Sinclair in this one). And each critical edition affords a fresh view of such "accessible" Ives. But the similarities shouldn't be overdrawn; while the Robert Browning Overture is knotty under the best of circumstances, the Emerson Concerto turns out to be more accessible than I expected; a pleasant revelation.

The 1st Symphony was a "student" work, Ives's Yale thesis work written for his teacher, Horatio Parker, but with the clear influence of his "experimentalist" father, George Ives. (An idea of Ives's "experimentation" is found as early as in the first movement, nominally in D minor, where a passage modulates through eight different key signatures. A near-apocryphal anecdote related by Ives in his later years has Parker at least mildly annoyed by Ives's insistence on these modulations, but finally "throwing up his hands" in defeat and stating "But you must promise to end in D minor.")

If Ives learned from his father, he also clearly learned from Parker. The work is very much in a late 19th-century European mold, with strong resemblances to both Dvorak's New World Symphony (particularly in the second-movement Adagio molto, an obvious "borrowing" from the famous Largo of the Dvorak) and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 in the final movement. If not of the caliber (and endurance of appeal) of other such "first efforts" in the genre as those by Berlioz, Mahler and Shostakovich (at age 19!), it is nonetheless eminently appealing and, even, entertaining. Moreover, it lacks nothing by way of craft except perhaps for an overabundance of ideas (seemingly so rich that a "thriftier" composer might have stretched another symphony out of them). He demonstrates, in this youthful work, that he is as well a very skilled orchestrator, despite his youth and inexperience.

Over the years, I've collected what I think are (or were) all the available recordings of this work: Morton Gould with the Chicago Symphony (the world premiere recording), Eugene Ormandy with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and, most recently, Michael Tilson Thomas with (again) the Chicago Symphony. This new Sinclair performance puts them all out to pasture. (Only the Gould is remembered with fondness, because it was a "discovery" for me.)

Sinclair's critical edition restores a first-movement repeat and adds side-drum percussion (more about THAT later) in the Finale, and as well, I expect, corrects numerous small errors. His reading of the work is superb, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland turn in a splendid performance, and the sonics are among Naxos's best (which means "very good indeed").

Particularly felicitous is Sinclair's interpretation of the Adagio molto second movement, where he lovingly lingers over its beauties, in which Ives serves notice that he is a true melodist, not merely a "note spinner," when he chooses to be. The coda of the Finale is certainly enhanced by the inclusion of side drums having a very "American" flavor, perhaps the single best hint that this is the work of an American composer despite its European flavor otherwise (as if "you can take the boy out of Danbury but you can't take Danbury out of the boy"). Such percussion scoring would become commonplace a generation or so later; it became a frequent touchstone in the works of William Schuman, as one example.

The other work, the Emerson Concerto in its recording premiere, hardly arrives "unannounced," as Alan Feinberg, the soloist here, has performed the work (to splendid reviews) in concerts since its concert premiere in 1998. But for most of us this is a "first hearing."

The work is"realized" by David G. Porter, an Ives scholar who must number among the fearless of this small community, from incomplete sketches of an "Emerson Overture" for piano and orchestra (one of four such proposed overtures on literary figures, of which only the Robert Browning Overture saw completion). According to Sinclair's authoritative "Descriptive Catalog of the Music of Charles Ives," the terms "overture" and "concerto" can be used interchangeably.

While Ives never completed the work, he did succeed in subsuming many of its themes in the Concord Sonata and the Four Emerson Transcriptions for Piano that are closely related, thematically, to the Concord. By far the most famous of these themes is the four-note "Fate" motive that begins Beethoven's 5th Symphony, a theme for which Ives ascribed greater "universality" than did Beethoven himself.

Ivesians coming upon this work for the first time will find it to be a fascinating, and at times compelling, mix of "the old" and "the new and strange." For the most part, connections to the Concord and the Emerson Transcriptions will be recognized, but of course transmogrified. The "Fate" motive seems to be more dominant here than in the keyboard equivalents; it is clearly the unifying theme for all four movements. Feinberg is absolutely heroic in his performance (as he needs to be, needless to say).

Orchestrating the work (and here Porter has done a superb job) clarifies far more than it obscures, vis-à-vis the keyboard works. As would be expected, shattering dissonances live side-by-side with passages of transcendent beauty. I was even able to pick out a passage or two where quarter-tones seem to have been employed by Porter; they are for the most part in the quieter passages, and they simply glow with beauty.

As much as I've enjoyed the work in its first few hearings, I think it will grow on me even more over time. And the newly-revised 1st Symphony is a winner on all accounts.

Needless to say, highy recommended.

Bob Zeidler

Average customer rating:

excellent overview of contemporaneous classic music
For the price you can't lose

Discover Music of the 20th Century

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

$7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

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Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
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Discover Music of the Classical Era
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A History of Musical Style

ASIN: B000B6N6B8
Release Date: 2005-11-01

Tracks:

Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'un Faune - Alexander Rahbari
Walzer - Peter Hill
I. Andante-Scherzo - Rebecca Hirsch
Sehr Ruhig Und Zart - Ulster Orchestra
Lebhaft Und Zart Bewegt - Ulster Orchestra
Sehr Langsam Und Ausserst Zart - Ulster Orchestra
Fliessend, Ausserst Zart - Ulster Orchestra
Sehr Fliessend - Ulster Orchestra
Forlane: Allegretto - Klara Kormendi
First Tableau: The Shrove-Tide Fair - Philharmonia Orchestra
The Mountebank - Philharmonia Orchestra
Vivo - Bournemouth Sinfonietta
III. Moderato Pesante - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Hymn To St. Cecilia - Choir Of St. John's College, Cambridge
IV. Allegretto - Ondrej Lenard
Introduzione: Andante Non Troppo-Allegro Vivace - Alexander Rahbari

Tracks:

Romance - Czecho-Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra (Kosice)
II. Allegro - Ladislav Slovak
III. Allegro Agitato - Stephen Gunzenhauser
Main Theme From Schindler's List - Paul Bateman
The Unanswered Question - Northern Sinfonia
Second Electonic Interpolation (Conclusion) - Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
Third Electronic Interpolation (Beginning) - Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
I. Liturgie De Cristal - Amici Ensemble
IV. Commentaire - Idil Biret
Warming Up, Leading To Model 1, Bass - Gregory Rose
'Gott Nochmal' Sun God - Gregory Rose
'Vishnu' God Of Storms - Gregory Rose
God Of The Earth - Gregory Rose
First Interlude - Boris Berman
I. - Roger Heaton
Short Ride In A Fast Machine - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
The Lord's Prayer - Choir Of St. John's College, Cambridge
II. Lento E Largo-Tranquillissimo - Zofia Kilanowicz
Lullaby - Philharmonia Orchestra
Vision Of The Hunt I - Philharmonia Orchestra
Voice For Solo Flute - Robert Aitken

Customer Reviews:

excellent overview of contemporaneous classic music.......2007-03-22

excellent overview of contemporaneous classic music.

Should be continued, plenty more 20th-century composers to be discovered.

For the price you can't lose.......2007-02-21

This 2 cd set consists of, as the title indicates, various 20c pieces or movements from the Naxos catalog. Sound quality is uniformly high, although for some such as Stockhausen's it's not clear if that's good or bad. What is excellent is the variety of the collection--some familiar (Debussy), others not, some pretty, others intentionally weird. Few will find every piece to his or her taste, but many listeners who do not spend much time on 20c music will find something to like. Overall, a great introduction to a period of much off-putting, yes, but also much compelling music.

Average customer rating:

American Album

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Fiedler's Favorite Marches
God Bless America: Ult Patriotic Album
Sousa's Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000003F4K
Release Date: 1991-03-08

Tracks:

Fanfare For The Common Man
American Salute
Washington Post March
New England Triptych: Chester
Variations on 'America'
Symphonette No. 2: Pavane
Babes In Toyland: March Of The Toys
Fanfare For The Uncommon Woman No. 1
Rodeo: Hoedown
The Plow That Broke The Plains: Prelude
The Plow That Broke The Plains: Pastoral
Grand Canyon Suite: On The Trail
Minor Reflection
America The Beautiful
The Stars And Stripes Forever
Taps
The Star Spangled Banner

The John Adams Earbox: A 10-CD Retrospective

Average customer rating:

Moved to tears
Nonesuch delivers.Again
harmonia in excelsis
Our greatest living composer
Wonderful CD

The John Adams Earbox: A 10-CD Retrospective

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Steve Reich 1965-1995
Naive & Sentimental Music
John Adams: The Dharma at Big Sur/My Father Knew Charles Ives
25 Years: Retrospective
Century Rolls

ASIN: B00001SID1
Release Date: 1999-10-19

Tracks:

Lollapalooza
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Judah To Ocean
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Toot Nipple
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Dogjam
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Pavane: She's So Fine
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Rag The Bone
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Habanera
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Stubble Crotchet
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Hammer & Chisel
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Alligator Escalator
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Standchen: The Little Serenade
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Judah To Ocean (Reprise)
Slonimsky's Earbox

Tracks:

Two Fanfares For Orchestra - Tromba Lontana
Two Fanfares For Orchestra - Short Ride In A Fast Machine
Common Tones In Simple Time
El Dorado - Part I. A Dream Of Gold
El Dorado - Part II. Soledades

Tracks:

Harmonielehre - Part I
Harmonielehre - Part II The Anfortas Wound
Harmonielehre - Part III Meister Eckhardt And Quackie
Violin Concerto - Part I
Violin Concerto - Part II Chaconne:
Violin Concerto - Part III Toccare

Tracks:

Chamber Sympony - Mongel Airs
Chamber Sympony - Aria With Walking Bass
Chamber Sympony
Hoodo Zephyr - Tundra
Hoodo Zephyr - Dissappointment Lake
Hoodo Zephyr - Hoodo Zephyr
Gnarly Buttons - The Perilous Shore
Gnarly Buttons - Hoe-Down (Mad Cow)
Gnarly Buttons - Put Your Loving Arms Around Me

Tracks:

Ensemble - I Was Looking At The Ceiling And Then I Saw The Sky
A Sermon On Romance
Consuelo's Dream
Mike's Song About Arresting A Particular Individual
Tiffany's Solo
Song About The On-Site Altercation
Song About The Bad Boys And The News
Your Honor My Client He's A Young Black Man
Leila's Song; Alone (Again Or At Last)
Three Weeks And Still I'm Outta My Mind
Crushed By The Rock I Been Standing On
Dewain's Song Of Liberation And Surprise
!Este Pais! / This Country
One Last Look At The Angel In Your Eyes
Finale

Tracks:

Lollapalooza
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Judah To Ocean
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Toot Nipple
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Dogjam
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Pavane: She's So Fine
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Rag The Bone
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Habenera
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Stubble Crotchet
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Hammer & Chisel
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Alligator Escalator
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Standchen: The Little Serenade
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Judah To Ocean (Reprise)
Slonimsky's Earbox

Tracks:

Harmonium - Negative Love
Harmonium - Becuase I Could Not Stop For Death
Harmonium - Wild Nights
Shaker Loops - Shaking and Trambling
Shaker Loops - Hymning Slews
Shaker Loops - Loops and Verses
Shaker Loops - A Final Shaking

Tracks:

The Chairman Dances - Foxtrot For Orchestra
Grand Pianola Music - First Movement
Grand Pianola Music - Second Movement
Grand Pianola Music - Third Movement: On The Dominant Divide
Fearful Symmetries

Tracks:

Nixon In China - Opening
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China - Landing Of The Spirit Of '76
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China - Cheers
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China - Opening
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -

Tracks:

The Wound-Dresser
Christian Zeal And Activity
Five Songs - Thoreau
Five Songs - Down East
Five Songs - Cradle Song
Five Songs - At The River
Five Songs - Serenity
Eros Piano

Amazon.com

Having earned his composing stripes after the 1960s, John Adams had the pioneering work of Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and Terry Riley close at hand as he ventured into his trade. And, while minimalism's historical continuum helps place Adams, he used Reich, Glass, and Riley (among others) only as a starting point. And here's proof: a 10-CD retrospective of nearly all Adams's recorded compositions on Nonesuch Records, the label that also issued Steve Reich 1965-1995 and Kronos Quartet: 25 Years. Adams's Harmonium, a choral work of startling energy and effervescence, appears here in a new recording, as do distillations of both The Death of Klinghoffer and Nixon in China, two path-clearing operas. Over the span of a career covered by Earbox, Adams has returned minimalism to traditional instrumental ensembles as well as to projects that at once advanced a political commentary and took that commentary back to orchestral audiences. And so, in far less time than his predecessors, Adams created works that now play like standard repertoire pieces: The Wound Dresser and Shaker Loops and the Violin Concerto--all of them are here. What these works demonstrate is a fierce creativity on the one hand and perhaps a hunger for commercial advances on the other. Adams may at times be a bustling free thinker, but he sounds ever conscious of what audiences are listening to. As for the works themselves, they remain every bit as daunting as when written.

Some may object to particular selections. I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky, for example, hardly ranks with Adams's best work. But this box isn't a mere best-of; it's an almost-all-of. At times terrifically American--especially in the news-aware operas and their narrative pragmatism--Adams well deserves a major box set, and its coverage is appropriate to his varied, stylistically diverse output. As with any large-scale retrospective, Earbox--which fairly bristles with Adams's new composition, Slonimsky's Earbox--has spots where fans might balk at the quality of the composer's writing. But it's got a fantastic accompanying booklet along with its many hours of inarguably modern and thoroughly listener-friendly music. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Moved to tears.......2004-03-18

Never before in my life was i moved so intensely and directly by classical music. I put the first cd in my player and a few minutes later tears are flowing. I find myself dancing and moving to a rythm i already seem to know. Wow, i just have to share that.

Nonesuch delivers.Again.......2002-11-27

John adams is one of the most popular living composers of"modern" classical music[I believe the cutoff point, though arbitrary is usually WWII}.I came to him late, through my husband. Modersn classical music , I said? What the hell is that?My husband kept playing bits and pieces of adams for me, and more and more i found myself amazed. and swayed. His operas have been groundbreaking{Nixon in China} controversial{Death Of klinghoffer},his compostions sublimely beautiful{shaker Loops or harmonium].HIS STATURE IS WORTHY THEN OF SUCH A MONUMENTAL CAREER SPANNING BOX SET.This 10 disc set[great value, again from NONESUCH}encompasses Adams' entire career,and though there are some misses here{I was looking at the ceiling and then i saw the sky doesnt quite fit},it is still magnificent. the Highlights are ,{for me} the Wound Dresser, Chamber symphony,Violin Concerto, of course, Shaker Loops and Harmonuim are wonderful. The true jewels here are Nixon in China,the Chairman dances and the Death of Klinghoffer,which is simply a masterpiece. The set comes with a wonderful book, which contains essay's by Robert Hurwitz {An Uncommon Man}renaud Machart[John adams as seen from europe} and Essays before an earbox by Adams himself.A Chronology and dicography are included. A wonderful study of an American original,worth the investment, Highly highly recommended

harmonia in excelsis.......2001-11-12

I must agree with Mr. Bartlett, particularly with regard to "Ceiling." It may well be because his Violin Concerto and Harmonielehre are so powerful. 4.5 stars.
Interesting, and likely intentional, is that two names in the extensive liner book fail to mention two great and glaringly obvious precursors: Carl Orff and Raymond Scott. Without "Carmina Burana," there would be no "Harmonium." Orff has his mark all over Adams's gifted and epic compositions. Similarly, though there are glib references to "cartoon music," the polymath engineer/musician Scott is a seminal figure in American music, and casts a large shadow over the witty juxtapositions and sense of play one loves in Adams's work. In all, an excellent career overview.

Our greatest living composer.......2001-07-22

As a composer, I'm staggered that anyone could fail to be gripped by this music.

That anyone can use the words "spoiled, overrated" amazes me. I emphatically disagree with "A music fan"'s review.

I don't think it's "mind-numbing"; I think it's spiritual and exciting. To me it's the most substantial music being created in our times.

I'm really sorry that anyone could fail to enjoy it, and really recommend others to listen for themselves.

Wonderful CD.......2000-04-02

This compilation should turn even the most curmudgeonly listerner into a fan. Beautifully recorded, great notes -- and it's a heck of a bargain!

Average customer rating:

A classic classical album
Go to the center of the matter

Hanson Conducts Ives, Schuman & Mennin

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000057L8
Release Date: 1991-08-09

Tracks:

Three Places In New England: The 'St. Gaudens' In Boston Common (Col. Shaw And His Colored Regiment)
Three Places In New England: Putnam's Camp, Redding, Connecticut
Three Places In New England: From The Housatonic At Stockbridge
Symphony No 3, 'The Camp Meeting': 1. 'Old Folks Gatherin' (Andante maestoso)
Symphony No 3, 'The Camp Meeting': 2. 'Children's Day' (Allegro moderato)
Symphony No 3, 'The Camp Meeting': 3. 'Communion' (Largo)
New England Triptych (Three Pieces For Orchestra After William Billings): 1. Be Glad Then, America
New England Triptych (Three Pieces For Orchestra After William Billings): 2. When Jesus Wept
New England Triptych (Three Pieces For Orchestra After William Billings): 3. Chester
Symphony No. 5: 1. Con sdegno
Symphony No. 5: 2. Canto
Symphony No. 5: 3. Allegro tempetuoso

Customer Reviews:

A classic classical album.......2005-06-21

The Third is the most charming of Charles Ives' four "official" symphonies; one imagines the French would have been able to perform it - & loved it - during the 1920's. Subsequent research & a better sense of Ives' "sound" cannot be altogether discounted when listening to Hanson's committed 1959 performance; James Sinclair with the Northern Sinfonia on Naxos has a lighter & more deft touch that I believe is closer to what Ives heard in his head. But the inclusion of "Three Places," William Schuman's "New England Triptych," & the rugged Symphony no. 5 by the somewhat neglected Peter Mennin make this a classic classical album. Mercury's close mic "Living Presence" recording is better heard on speakers than through earphones, & was a sonic wonder of the era.

Go to the center of the matter.......2000-07-07

Howard Hanson finds so much in these works that when you compare them to other performances you think you're listening to different works.

This is particularly true of the Ives. No one conducted Ives like Hanson who, as an eminent composer himself, had unique insight into how Ives's mind worked. Voices, rhythmic patterning, tones, piled up and juxtaposed sonorities, the whole rich pallete is laid out for your delectation. Hanson is in no way picayune, either. He has a brilliant argument going for Ives as a classicist as much as a modernist. There is no other recording of the third symphony as full and rewarding as this.

The Schuman is another American standby that gets the revelatory Hanson treatment and is all the better for it. Often, when you do get to hear it, it's treated as an occasional piece, a patriotic "historiograph" or impression for us to enjoy and forget. After Hanson, you don't forget it...it's a first-rate work that you want to hear over and over with its evocative colors and straightforward, artistic honesty. You almost feel that Schuman could have reworked it into one of his beautiful and powerful symphonies.

And the Mennin is just that, compelling, powerful, beautiful. The ERSO outdoes itself with heft here, without overdoing it. Mennin propels everything forward and is extremely economical with his ideals. Hanson shows you how it all fits together without it seeming like a lecture-recital. Mennin usually didn't get such probing performances of his works, and after listening to this, you bemoan the fact that he died a few years back at just 51 years old. We were lucky to have him.

Add this beautiful Mercury to your carefully chosen collection of fine American music. You will find it wears very well and that you gain something more from it every time you put it on.

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