Ives: Symphony No. 3

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This is a fine selection of Ives's works. The Third Symphony has wonderful folk sounds and hymns to latch on to, while the raucous "Country Band" is a warm-yet-all-too-true invocation of the mediocre town bands that play badly but with great oomph. "Central Park in the Dark" is alternatingly spooky and impressionistic, the latter as sounds from outside the Park creep in. "Washington's Birthday" is the CD's most dissonant piece--hardly fun--in the middle of which Ives gives us some square-dance rhythms and the sound of a Jew's harp. "The Unanswered Question" is justly famous, a conglomeration of sounds and instrumental groups, which, in its four and a half minutes, says a great deal. These performances are all excellent, and for those who want a sort of Ives sampler, this bargain CD is ideal. --Robert Levine

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.

Stars & Stripes: America's Greatest Hits

Average customer rating:

worth money
Great Patriotic Music
A good choice of tunes with good quality
Brilliant!!!
Best Patriotic Music I've Found

Stars & Stripes: America's Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Compendia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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American Anthems
American Jubilee
Marches: The Greatest Hits
God Bless America: Ult Patriotic Album
The Military Band: Salute to the Services

ASIN: B000000BMS
Release Date: 1997-02-25

Tracks:

The Star Spangled Banner
George M. Cohan Medley: Yankee Doodle Dandy/Harrigan/Mary's A Grand Old Name/You're A Grand Old Flag
American Salute
The Washington Post
El Capitan
Armed Forces Medley: The Army Goes Rolling Along/Anchors Aweigh/Semper paratus/The U.S. Air Force...
God Bless America
Colonel Bogey
National Emblem March
Americans We
Manhattan Beach
Deep In The Heart Of Texas
The Yellow Rose Of Texas
Hoe-Down From 'Rodeo'
Shaker Melody from Appalachian Spring

Tracks:

Fanfare For The Common Man
Overture To 'Strike Up The Band'
America The Beautiful
76 Trombones
Victory At Sea Suite
America From 'West Side Story'
Liberty Bell
Variations On 'America'
The Stars And Stripes Forever

Customer Reviews:

worth money.......2007-05-24

this cd set is definately worth the money spent. i haven't heard some of the music before but was willing to give it a try.

Great Patriotic Music.......2007-02-21

Beautiful music perfect for feeling patriotic. Received CD promptly and in great condition.

A good choice of tunes with good quality.......2005-06-30

If you like military tunes and marches, this 2-CD is a good choice. The orchestration is good, it is well played and the quality of recording is good. If you like this kind of music, it is a good choice to buy.

Brilliant!!!.......2003-08-11

I have the CD at home and the songs sound fabulous. I've heard the Houston Symphony's version of the Star Spangled Banner many times on TV as this anthem has been used at sign-off (when this was happening). It's as powerful a version you'll hear. Probably the finest patriotic music CD you can find out there.

Best Patriotic Music I've Found.......2001-09-20

Loved the CD! I am buying it to use with a Musical Freestyle Ride for a Quadrille. A horse oriented endeaver. The music will be perfect to bring positive patriotism to fairs and fund raisers for NYC.

Ives: The Symphonies / Orchestral Sets 1 & 2

Average customer rating:

Amazing
A great set
Beautiful Music
Do Not Hesitate!

Ives: The Symphonies / Orchestral Sets 1 & 2

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ives: Holidays Symphony
Ives: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-4
Ives: An American Journey
Charles Ives: Three Quarter-Tone Pieces; Five Take-offs; Hallowe'en; Sunrise
Milhaud: The Complete Symphonies (Box Set)

ASIN: B00004TTIK
Release Date: 2001-03-13

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:

Adagio For Strings
Symphony No. 3: - 1. Old Folks Gatherin'
Symphony No. 3: - 2. Children's Day
Symphony No. 3: - 3. Communion
Cor Anglais - Trumpet And Strings: Quiet City
Oboe And Strings: Hymn And Fuguing Tune No. 10
A Rumour

Customer Reviews:

Quite Wonderful.......2002-09-16

Excellent performances of American works! The Quiet City is wonderful, and I think this is a remarkably atmospheric rendition of the Adagio. The Creston Rumor is a delight, and one of his less dated works.

Tracks:

Adagio For Strings - Leonard Bernstein
I. Allegro - Isaac Stern
II. Andante - Isaac Stern
III. Presto In Moto - Isaac Stern
To Thee Old Cause - Harold Gomberg
Vigoroso - Leonard Bernstein
Lento (Bar 185) - Leonard Bernstein
The Unanswered Question - William Vacchiano
Molto Deliberato - Leonard Bernstein

Customer Reviews:

Classic Bernstein recordings of American music, in best sound.......2006-06-16

Sony's reissue machine tries to entice us to buy some classic Bernstein performances by giving us mid-price, excellent sound, and a jam-packed CD. As Mr. Richman notes below, the main part of this disc appeared in the Bernstein Century series, but two items have been added, Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man and Ives' Unanswered Question, both performed with all of Bernstein's infectious energy and insight.

I also give Sony the benefit of the doubt that their current DSD (Direct Stream Digital) technology is a step ahead of the last improvement, 20-bit SBM (Super Bit Mapping) technology. Who knows for sure?

Anyway, Bernstein and Stern have never been bettered in their 1964 reading of the Barber Violin Concerto. Their secret is twofold: the superb orchestral playing by the NY Phil. at its height (Harold Gomberg's oboe solo that opens the slow movement couldn't be more tender), and Bernstein's unqiue ability to conduct American rhythms. He was both a jazz baby and a swing kid, and it shows even when he is handling the delicate tracery of the concerto's first movement. Stern keeps his tone relatively dry, which is also a good idea when the melody is this luscious.

Gomberg is back center stage for William Schuman's evocative 'To the Old Cause,' a combination of oboe concerto and brooding elegy for the deaths of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy. A cultural era was ending, and Schuman gives dark, painful testimony to it. The same is true for the even darker, jagged 'In Praise of Ben Shahn,' with its rough-hewn brass interjections and turbulent unease. Schuman's idiom dates from the Forties and here is getting its last stand in a moving way.

Once you throw in the Copland and Ives fillers, the net result is a terrific 74 min. memento of Bernstein at his very best and a high-water mark in Aerican music.

Same as "Bernstein Century" Title.......2003-10-02

This recent Sony reissue of the music of American composers Samuel Barber and William Schuman is exactly the same as a CD featured in the "Bernstein Century" series. Included here are Leonard Bernstein and the NYPO's 1971 account of the "Adagio for Strings," 1964 recording of Barber's Violin Concerto, 1968 performance of Schuman's "To Thee Old Cause," and "In Praise of Shahn" from 1970. The music is terrific, but my reason for rewarding only four stars (other than being annoyed at Sony for investing so much energy in a straight reissue with new packaging when so many other classic recordings remain unissued) is this release is obviously aimed at casual fans looking for a good performance of the "Adagio." And boy will they be surprised by the dissonance of the Schuman pieces! This is another Sony reissue that leaves me scratching my head.

Ives: Symphony No. 2 & Symphony No. 3/Bernstein Discusses Charles Ives

Average customer rating:

The most introspective American composer!
Bernstein conducts Ives
Educational
UN GENIO DEL CONTRAPUNTO
a very accessible Ives

Ives: Symphony No. 2 & Symphony No. 3/Bernstein Discusses Charles Ives

Manufacturer: Sony
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Ives: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4/Hymns
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: An American Journey
Ives: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-4
Bernstein Century: Bernstein on Jazz - What is Jazz?

ASIN: B0000062D1
Release Date: 1998-03-31

Tracks:

Symphony No. 2: I. Andante moderato
Symphony No. 2: II. Allegro
Symphony No. 2: III. Adagio cantabile
Symphony No. 2: IV. Lento maestoso
Symphony No. 2: V. Allegro Molto vivace
Symphony No. 3 'The Camp Meeting': I. 'Old Folks Gatherin'.' Andante maestoso
Symphony No. 3 'The Camp Meeting': II. 'Children's Day.' Allegro
Symphony No. 3 'The Camp Meeting': III. 'Communion.' Largo
Leonard Bernstein Discusses Charles Ives

Customer Reviews:

The most introspective American composer!.......2005-08-03

Perhaps this statement it may sound exaggerated, but in sharp contrast with his another remarkable composer as Aaron Copland, Ives remained as the loyal observer, who scrutinizes with admirable honesty and artistic commitment the non revealed aspects of the reality. Beneath the trivial vision, he composes music as Van Gogh painted, with a remarkable sixth sense depicted the recondite boundaries of the human condition, the changing nature and besides the undeniable interaction between man and nature.
I must confess my admiration by Ives since my first years. Since I was a teenager, his Question without answer, his Symphonies are permeated somehow for similar visions you can find in Carl Nielsen, (though Carl's vision goes overseas); this dark lyricism and somber poetry is still a landmark in the American music.
Another directorial triumph of Leonard Bernstein!

Bernstein conducts Ives.......2003-10-30

Just as Bernstein had done for the music of Gustav Mahler, he helped to popularize the music of an American original, Charles Ives (1874-1954). He found Ives a genius, too, as he said in a companion recording included with Columbia's first LP reissue of the historic recording of Ives' amazing second symphony.

Bernstein actually conducted the world premiere of the second symphony on February 25, 1951, and both Charles Ives and his wife, Harmony, were persuaded to the listen to the New York Philharmonic's radio broadcast. At the crazy "reveille" ending, the Carnegie Hall audience gave the work a thunderous ovation, which caused Harmony to remark to her husband, "Why, they actually like it!"

Four years earier, composer-conductor Lou Harrison, a friend of the generally reclusive Ives, conducted a New York orchestra in the world premiere of the third symphony. This is a more conventional work, which still has its share of twists, and one of the more interesting "what if's" comes from the fact that Gustav Mahler had seen the score and promised to conduct the New York Philharmonic in the world premiere; unfortunately, Mahler died that spring and his successors had no interest in performing a symphony by an "unknown" American composer. Yet in 1947, when Harrison finally conducted its first performance, the work was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Typically, Ives refused the award, saying prizes were for boys.

The second symphony has long been associated with Leonard Bernstein and not just because he introduced it. Bernstein recorded the work in Brooklyn's St. George Hotel on October 6, 1958, and championed it. He recognized the genius at work. He marveled at how Ives so effectively incorporated American patriotic songs, hymns, and college songs, as well as subtle quotes from the music of Ives' musical heroes, J.S. Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. The orchestration is lush, too, and deeply moving. There are odd twists, to be sure, and bits of humor, especially at the very end of the symphony.

When I first heard Bernstein's recording of the second symphony, I knew this was a very special work. Bernstein included it in a CBS "Young People's Concert" telecast. He helped us to appreciate this wonderful work and this recording is a lasting testimony not only to the work's brilliance but Bernstein's ability to interpret it with great love and affection.

The third symphony is a deeply spiritual work, abounding in the New England hymns that Ives so loved and admired. Ives had a particular fondness for Lowell Mason, one of the first great American composers. Bernstein's recording is highly enjoyable and very moving.

Educational.......2003-07-30

I have always loved Leonard Bernstein's musical lectures. This fine recording of Ives: Symphonies, No. 2 & 3 not only offers very idiomatic performances by the great late Bernstein, but includes his superb lecture on Charles Ives. As with other Sony recordings that include Bernstein's insightful commentaries, this CD is worth the price of purchase just to hear his educational profile of Charles Ives, a true "American Original" who marched to a different beat. I only hope that Sony eventually releases all of Bernstein's musical lectures on CD. The Beethoven 5th symphony needs to be re-released with his wonderful lecture on the making of the 5th symphony. The Sony "Royal Collection" (out of print) of Beethoven's 5th symphony included his lecture in several languages, but from what I've been reading it was a fiasco (not the lecture, but Sony's production of it).

Highly recommended.

UN GENIO DEL CONTRAPUNTO.......2000-03-07

Es difícil de comprender como una obra de tanto valor artístico, además de ser sumamente agradable, sea tan poco interpretada. La segunda Sinfonía de Ives, es una obra llena de optimismo y de ideas muy bien logradas con referencia a contraponer conceptos. La partitura de esta Sinfonía, nos demuestra la genialidad de Charles Ives en el arte contrapuntístico. Lenny Bernstein está SIETE ESTRELLAS.

100% recomendado

Francisco J. Muñoz

a very accessible Ives.......1998-10-26

If you ever got lost in the dense woods of the Concord Sonata, this cd may let you find the way back to the music of charles ives.The 2ndSymphony starts in a very romantic almost Elgar-like mood and manages to combine Brahms and Wagner-among many others-with American Folk tunes. The slow movement should convince even the most invetarate Ives-hater.The 3dSymphony combines hymns and folk-tunes in a serene and almost pastoral atmosphere. Bernstein makes the most of both Symphonies.

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:

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: Symphony No. 2 & Symphony No. 3/Bernstein Discusses Charles Ives
Ives: Holidays Symphony
Ives: The Symphonies / Orchestral Sets 1 & 2
Ives: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-4

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:

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

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

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | 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

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
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Discover Early Music
Luigi Nono: Como una ola de fuerza y luz, for Soprano, Piano, Orchestra & Magnetic Tape (1971-72) / ...sofferte onde serene... For Piano & Magnetic Tape (1976) / Contrapunto dialettico alla mente, for Magnetic Tape (1968) - Maurizio Pollini / Claudio Abbado

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:

Classic Hymns

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ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000A2UBXO
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Tracks:

Now Thank We All Our God
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Doxology
Thine Is The Glory
Be Still, My Soul
O Sacred Head Now Wounded
Shall We Gather At The River?
O For A Thousand Tongues
Lord, Speak To Me
Praise To The Lord, The Almighty
Glorious Things Of Thee Are Spoken
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

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

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Naive & Sentimental Music
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25 Years: Retrospective
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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

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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

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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
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Five Songs - Down East
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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!

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Music Review

music review

Music Review

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