Central Park in the Dark

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The music of Charles Ives (1874-1954) draws from two basic sources: American folk songs and an active imagination. He was also the first composer to "characterize" New England in music. His showstopper, The Unanswered Question, is famous for its parallel themes that clash--one tonal, one atonal. This version of Question would be enough to recommend the disc, but what's even more interesting is Elliott Carter's Concerto for Orchestra. It's as if Carter wanted to write a concerto for orchestra as if Ives might have done it had he still been alive. It's a difficult work to both listen to and play. --Paul Cook

Tracks:

Washington's Birthday
Decoration Day
The Fourth Of July
Thanksgiving And Forefathers' Day
The Unanswered Question (revised version)
Central Park In The Dark
The Unanswered Question (original version)

Amazon.com essential recording

Ives never really intended his four holiday symphonic poems to be played together, and they are very seldom performed that way live. But it makes so much sense to group them on a recording that the Holidays Symphony has become the standard way to refer to the music. In any event, all four pieces offer some of Ives'ss finest, most imaginative work. The Fourth of July is the second most complex and crazy piece that he ever wrote--right up there with the second movement of the Fourth Symphony. Tilson Thomas is very much a specialist in this music, and he directs performances of almost supernatural accuracy. Simply the best. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Just great, that's it.......2005-05-25

This is a "must" album. Altho' I personallly object to some of the finer editorial work in the "original" version of "UnQ" (very esoteric stuff--ask me) I'd stilll recommend this album as a "must have." -- D.G. Porter, Editorial Coordinator, The Charles Ives Society

"Thanksgiving and Forefathers' Day": It's what's for today........2003-11-28

The "Holidays Symphony" of Charles Ives, comprised of four movements to symbolize the passing of the four seasons by connecting them to important American holidays, was originally intended to be four standalone works, each of which could be performed separately in conjunction with its respective holiday.

Only later did Ives combine them as a four-movement "symphony." So, on this Thanksgiving Day of 2003, I chose to "deconstruct" them, just so that I might concentrate - for the occasion - on "Thanksgiving and Forefathers' Day."

This movement should, in my opinion, be numbered among the finest Ives compositions of all. It is brilliantly written and scored, with many original instrumental touches, particularly for percussion, where Ives calls upon low church bells, tubular bells and celesta, as well as an offstage ensemble of 4 horns, trombone and contrabassoon, all to marvelous effect. The ending, where the chorus enters singing to the words of the hymn tune "Duke Street," is simply breathtaking in its spirituality; truly transcendent and sublime.

But there are aspects to this movement that I've not seen anyone else mention, aspects that are startling in a prescient way, and therefore worth some mention. There is a quiet interlude, at about midpoint, scored for a reduced chamber ensemble of woodwinds, cornet, strings and celesta, that is "proto-Copland" in its sound texture, typical Coplandesque "Americana" yet written decades before "Appalachian Spring," which this section anticipates in a most remarkable way, with nearly identical chamber orchestra textures and, even, thematic ideas. The interlude then is followed by a penultimate section, prior to the choral entry, that has textures - and harmonies for that matter - similar to what William Schuman would, like Copland, write decades later. This brief section provides a perfect transition to the choral entry. And this is precisely where words fail me, because what Ives achieves here simply turns me to jelly. Only at the end of "From Hanover Square North" (from his Orchestral Set No. 2) and in the final movement of his masterpiece, the Symphony No. 4, was Ives able to match this "Holiday" in transcendent beauty.

The other three holidays/seasons ("Washington's Birthday"/Winter, "Decoration Day"/Spring and "The Fourth of July"/Summer) are all of a piece with this Thanksgiving one. Tilson Thomas has this music in his blood, having been an Ivesian from a very young age as conductors go. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, famed for its brass choir, earns kudos for ALL of its choirs in this performance, easily the best available and one not likely to be topped any time soon. And of course it doesn't hurt to have the Margaret Hillis-directed CSO Chorus for the conclusion of "Thanksgiving and Forefathers' Day" (the one movement that I just HAD to listen to, not that I excluded the rest of the work, or the disc for that matter).

The album is nicely rounded out with Ives's two contemplations: "A Contemplation of a Serious Matter" and "A Contemplation of Nothing Serious," more commonly known as "The Unanswered Question" and "Central Park in the Dark." Better yet, "The Unanswered Question" appears in two versions: the original as written in 1906, and a revised version, written some 20-odd years later, in which the trumpet and woodwind phrases are somewhat altered to add to the enigmatic nature of the work. In both versions, the Chicago strings play with an atmospheric perfection rarely heard. The ragtime piano in the foreground of "Central Park in the Dark" is hard to top, also. But for this particular "contemplation" I do have a preference for James Sinclair's (British) Northern Sinfonia Orchestra performance (on Naxos #8559087), for which I had written, "Much of Ives's music is all about space and distance, and the bar-room piano heard very faintly in the background truly gives this sense of space, as well as a sense of evening mist in the park."

The renowned Ives biographer Jan Swafford writes on this page, "My vote for the finest Ives orchestral recording ever made." I'm not of a mind to argue with Swafford, Ives expert that he is, especially on this particular day, and equally especially by virtue of the phenomenal performances that Tilson Thomas elicits from his Chicago orchestral and choral forces throughout.

Cue it up, folks. It's "what's for Thanksgiving."

Bob Zeidler

An fiery introduction to Ives.......2002-11-08

With Michael Tilson Thomas and the magnificent Chicago Symphony Orchestra in top form, this collection includes some of the best, most colorful works by this American master. Of the four holidays, "The Fourth of July" is irresistible - about seven minutes of extreme orchestral complexity, flaring up just like the rockets themselves and then expiring in exhaustion. Ives packs more into this score than some composers do in an hour, with colliding rhythms, blaring fortissimos and "Columbia, Gem of the Ocean" sailing above everything else. It is as exhilarating a ride as any composer has ever given us. "Decoration Day" eventually arrives at a somber moment at the cemetery with a touching trumpet solo playing "Taps," then ends with a joyously raucous march back to town. The moody "Washington's Birthday" and the stirring "Thanksgiving" complete the set, and by the end you may be thinking there has never been a composer who has captured the vivid, clashing emotions of the holidays with such accuracy.

Similarly melding the gentle with the explosive is the extraordinarily evocative "Central Park in the Dark," written in 1906. This densely written gem finds time to include the ragtime classic, "Hello, my Baby," among other tunes that make their surprise appearance during the chaotic climax.

Perhaps the most unusual feature of this disc is the inclusion of both versions of "The Unanswered Question," a gentle evocation of some of the sublime mysteries of the universe. The differences between the two versions are small, but
significant - and I won't spoil the thrill of discovery by revealing them here. Suffice to say that the piece is haunting in its quest to define the indefinable, and will likely linger in your mind long afterward.

Michael Tilson Thomas is one of the most exciting and knowledgeable interpreters of this music anywhere, and the Chicago orchestra shows why many people consider it one of the best ensembles in the world. This is perhaps not a recording for a quiet morning, but it is absolutely a candidate for "Top Ten Discs of 20th-Century American Music." A hugely exciting disc.

My vote for the finest Ives orchestral recording ever made.......2002-09-24

Take the insight of Michael Tilson Thomas, who's been conducting Ives throughout his career (his old Boston Symphony "Three Places" is still one of the best around), add one of the finest orchestras in the world and its celebrated brass section (Ives said he conceived all his music as if through "sort of a brass band with wings"), and finish with some genuinely inspired playing, and you've got a recording for the ages. It was a broadcast of the Chicago live performance, heard by chance on the radio, that gave me the idea to write my biography of Ives. Meanwhile the Holidays Symphony is one of Ives's greatest and most communicative works, and the "Decoration Day" movement one of the summits of his music. When Stravinsky was asked to define a masterpiece, he answered with "Decoration Day."

Ouch.......2002-04-24

I bought this disc hoping that it might turn me on to Ives. It was highly recommended by the Penguin Guide, so it should be a safe bet, right? Well, this disc may be an outstanding recording of Ives, but I have learned something very important through listening to this disc...I don't like Ives.

Tracks:

Old Folks Gatherin'
Children's Day
Communion
Washington's Birthday
The Unanswered Question (Version No.2)
Central Park In The Dark
'Country Band' March
Overture And March '1776'

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

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful selection; Lives up to the reviews.......2004-03-01

A short but very positive review: I bought this because it was recommended by three excellent music reviewers below. Please read their reviews, especially Bob Zeidler's. In terms of the quality and interest of the music and performances, this CD lives up to its billing.

In recommending this, I also focus on the wonderful job done in selecting the pieces to be combined on this CD: in addition to the featured "Symphony No. 3", there are a number of other works on this CD, including "The Unanswered Question", that make for a wonderful cross-section of Ives' overall works. When you step back from enjoying the music, this is a very useful CD for learning about Ives and his music as well.

A Superb Introduction to America's Earliest Great Composer.......2003-05-18

I want to add my two cents to the praise heaped on this disc by the previous reviewers - Bob Zeidler, who is a real Ives maven, and Robin Freedman, a discerning critic, I've noted, of classical music recordings in these pages.

I won't say too much here. But I do want to comment that James Sinclair and his English orchestra play wonderfully, making the many layers of Ives's music stand out clearly so that one can not only hear but understand the complexity of Ives's scores; they clarify it so that it doesn't seem difficult any more. In some past recordings Ives's music has been muddled, making it more difficult to 'get' than it really is. We can perhaps 'hear' Ives more easily now that much later composers - such as Martinu, Schnittke, Sallinen - have prepared us for hearing more than one orchestral sound-plane at a time. Ives, after all, pioneered this. AND he made glorious music in doing so.

A sidebar: October 22, 1955 was an unforgettable day for me. On that single day I met the great Nobel physicist, Niels Bohr. And I heard my very first music by Ives, 'The Unanswered Question.' I walked on air for days afterward. And every time I hear 'Question' it all comes back. Is there anything that can evoke that kind of emotion, that kind of memory, better than music?

Scott Morrison

An Introduction to Charles Ives.......2003-05-06

Charles Ives (1874-1954) remains in his originality, sense of adventure and exploration, patriotism, and spirituality the quintesential American composer. This CD features an excellent selection of orchestral works from various stages of Ives's career and makes an outstanding introduction to this composer. The CD features the NOrthern Sinfonia, a European chamber orchestra conducted by James Sinclair, a specialist in Charles Ives. The performances are outstanding and make Ives's diffuse and obviously difficult scores hang together well. Jan Swafford, the author of the acclaimed biography, "Charles Ives: A Life with Music" wrote the informative program notes. This CD is part of the Naxos "American Classics" series and sells at a bargain price. It is impossible to go wrong with this CD. The listener will discover an American master.

Virtually all Ives's music, particularly the selections on this CD, is programmatic in character. This disc opens with the Third Symphony, "The Camp Meeting" written in 1904. Ives described this work as "a kind of crossway between the older ways and the newer ways." The Symphony describes a moment of American revival with gospel melodies such as "Just as I am" interlacing the texture of the work. The three movements are titled "Old Folks Gaterin'", "Children's Day" and "Communion" with the first two movements rather lyrical and straightforward and the third movement denser in character. This is an eloquent, accessible work.

I think the highlight of the CD is the "Two Contemplations" titled "The Unanswered Question" and "Central Park in the Dark" which Ives wrote in 1906. These are probably Ives's best known compositions. Swafford's notes aptly describe this music as "visionary". These pieces are collages and almost atonal in character, unlike the lyrical, tonal, Symphony No. 3. "The Unanswered Question" features movements of winds and trumpet over a repeated, muffled string figure. The piece is only four minutes long and it is brooding and spiritual. "Central Park in the Dark" is slightly longer and features the same type of brooding, contemplative themes juxtaposed with the noises and hurly-burly of New York City. This music will bear repeated listenings.

There are also short two early compositions on this CD, "Country Band March" and the "1776" Overture and March which capture Ives's patriotism, humor and love of amateur music-making.

The final selection on this CD is "Washington's Birthday" written in 1909. This work has a quiet, meditative beginning which encourages the listener to reflect on Washington and his significance. The meditative portions are interspersed with a lively, rowdy barn dance.

Many people have too little awareness of American achievement in art music. This CD will introduce the listener to one of our country's greatest composers. Naxos is to be praised for its outstanding series of "American Classics."

Charlie done right. Part II........2003-03-10

Naxos is sometimes criticized on various counts: Obscure, royalty-free repertoire, 2nd-tier (or lower) orchestras, with little-known conductors, bargain-basement production values, etc. For the most part, this is a bum rap; Naxos is no different in this respect than the major full-price labels, which put out their own share of turkeys. And, when Naxos is "on," as it often is, it can be downright unbeatable.

A case in point is the Naxos critical-edition releases of the music of Charles Ives. The CD under consideration here is the second in a series. (The first was the recording of the Ives 2nd Symphony and the Robert Browning Overture, with Kenneth Schermerhorn and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra.) There is no issue regarding royalty or production-values shortcuts with these CDs, nor is there any about the authoritativeness of the performances or the sound quality. Any full-price label would be proud of such releases.

The main work here is Ives's Symphony No. 3, written in 1901-1904 but never performed until 1946, with Lou Harrison conducting the New York LIttle Symphony. The following year the Symphony won Ives the Pulitzer Prize for music. It might well not have happened. A Columbia University student recorded the work off his radio during the Harrison broadcast, and played it for interested Columbia musicians, by way of which notice got to the Pulitzer committee. (While this series of events came perilously close to "almost didn't happen" status, there is another event, not as well-documented but more fascinating for what might have been. In 1910, when Gustav Mahler was the music director of the New York Philharmonic-Symphony, he visited Ives's copyist in New York and apparently left the shop with a "fair copy" of this score. Within a year, Mahler was dead. We can only guess how Ives's musical fortunes might have been different, had Mahler performed this work.)

The Third Symphony is the first of Ives's symphonies to totally break free of the Germano-centric traditions instilled in him by his father and by Horatio Parker, his mentor at Yale. It is uniquely "American," and couldn't have been written by anyone other than Ives, yet it lacks the iconoclastic idiosyncrasies usually attributed to Ives. (It may well be these features which attracted Mahler's attention.) Because of this, it may well be his most accessible work for the Ives newcomer. It is certainly one of his gentlest and most serene works, aided in good part by Ives choosing to lightly score it for small chamber orchestra.

Over the years, I've had several recordings of this work, going all the way back to Howard Hanson and the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra and including all the well-regarded ones by Bernstein and Tilson Thomas. (I've never been able to warm up to Tilson Thomas's Concertgebouworkest recording. To me, despite his obvious Ivesian knowledge, the performance just doesn't catch fire; the Dutchmen just don't seem to "get it.") None of them can match this new effort by James Sinclair (and the British Northern Sinfonia is not a handicap to him). This is a pellucid performance of great warmth and transparency, nicely flowing and lyrical as it should be. I especially enjoy the "retouchings" done by Sinclair in judiciously restoring some - but not all - of the "shadow lines" (submerged, much softer chromatic lines that Ives had penciled in for Harrison's premiere performance which were overlooked when Harrison premiered the work and prepared its initial publication). The effect on the richness of the music is subtle but telling. And - at the end of the work - where Ives has chimes softly tolling in the background - these chimes are rendered perfectly; almost subliminally as I would guess had been Ives's intent. Sinclair's recording immediately goes to the top of my list for best realization of this quintessential Ives work.

The rest of the album, while more along the lines of what most think of when they think of Ives the iconoclastic, collage-like composer, is, performance-wise, all of a piece with the symphony. One of Ives's true masterpieces - "The Unanswered Question" - sounds as well as I've ever heard it. Ives revised this early work well after its premiere, altering the trumpet line so that it sounds more "engimatic." Sinclair takes this a mild step further, splitting the "answering" notes assigned by Ives to four flutes into pairs of flutes and clarinets. It adds a bit to the coloration, and in reality provides not a second, but a third, version of this masterpiece.

The other "fillers" are equally splendid. Sinclair's "Central Park in the Dark" also goes to the top of my list for this impressionistic, near-atonal work. Much of Ives's music is all about space and distance, and the bar-room piano heard very faintly in the background truly gives this sense of space, as well as a sense of evening mist in the park. Superb!

There is s duplicate of a work Sinclair has recorded before, on the Koch Classics label: The "Country Band March." There's little to choose between them: They finish in a dead heat. Even the poor lone saxophone at the end, who failed to finish with the rest of the band.

The booklet notes are beyond superb. It didn't take long, reading into the notes, for me to guess who wrote them: The style, detail, and warmth with which the author wrote were dead giveaways. When I turned to p. 4, there it was: Jan Swafford, who wrote the sympathetic Ives biography, "Charles Ives: A Life With Music." (Strangely, though, Swafford fails to mention either the Pulitzer or the possible Ives-Mahler connection, something of only endnote merit in his biography but of continuing fascination to me.)

I can only heap more praise on top of my earlier praise of the Schermerhorn/Nashville CD in terms of the attention that Naxos lavishes on these releases. They don't HAVE to do it this way. But I sure am glad that they do.

Bob Zeidler

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