An Ives Newsletter — 31 October 2005

Happy Hallowe’en (S. 71)

The recent Ives-birthday newsletter distribution brought back a good deal of interesting news! Read on!

New Perlis book now out!

Published on Ives’s birthday, 20 October 2005: Composers' Voices from Ives to Ellington by Vivian Perlis and Libby Van Cleve (Yale University Press, ISBN: 0-300-10673-4; $50), with two CDs featuring the excerpts from the actual interviews with many of the composers covered in the text. For Ives, the CD has interview excerpts from Kirkpatrick, Carter, Slonimsky, Cowell, Harrison, Ives (singing), Philip Sunderland, Charles Buesing, Babe LaPine, and Mary Howard.

The first chapter of the text, "Introducing the Century," includes a comparison of MacDowell and Ives, as well as excerpts from transcripts: Sunderland, Amelia Van Wyck, Bigelow Ives, Julian Myrick, Charles Buesing, Carl Ruggles, Kirkpatrick, Bernard Herrmann, Cowell, Harrison, Slonimsky, Carter, LaPine, Lehman Engel, and Mary Howard. A letter from Edith Ives Tyler to her husband George Tyler about her father's music is published for the first time. Also included in the text are brief segments from younger composers influenced by Ives: John Adams, Ingram Marshal, Jack Vees, and Tom Johnson.

Ken Burns writes: “Through this wonderful series we can truly get to know the great artists who created the music that expresses who we are as a people better than most anything I can think of. This is an indispensable treasure trove of American history and culture, and a unique celebration fo the American spirit.”

Jazz composer-pianist Dave Brubeck adds: “In this book Vivian Perlis and Libby Van Cleve have assembled an amazing range of composers that reflects the diversity of American music. This publication offers lively interviews with giants of American music giving the reader an inside look at ragtime, ‘new’ music and early jazz. The actual sound of the composers’ voices on CD is a unique element that gives us a glimpse into the era and the musical personalities who created it.”

The book is available at bookstores, online (e.g. ), or by phoning 1-800-405-1619.

The Birthday in Danbury

(reported by Nancy Sudik, exec. director of the Danbury Music Centre)

Danbury, Connecticut celebrated the 131st birthday of native son, Charles E. Ives, in a day of festivities on Sunday, October 16. Hosts Larry Deming and Nancy Sudik, both from the Danbury Music Centre, began the day leading a hike up Pine Mountain. At the vista, where Charles and his brother Moss placed their shanty ("...unbeknown to Aunt Amelia ..."), the group of 20 hikers and one dog talked about the continual presence of Pine Mountain in the life of Charles Ives. Nancy Sudik played "Watchman Tell us of the Night" on her french horn. Reportedly, it echoed down into the valley and across the valley to the ridges overlooking Long Island Sound.

The next event of the day was at the birth home of Charles Ives. Brigid Guertin, director of the Danbury Museum, joined Nancy and Larry in guiding visitors through the home. Five students from Great Plain School in Danbury, presented their Charles Ives projects for the enjoyment of all.

A visit to the grave of Charles Ives, in Wooster Cemetery, followed. Nancy played "Remembrance" also known as "My Father's Song", from the pond below the grave.

The day ended with a blustery outdoor concert in Bethel at the town gazebo. The Danbury Brass Band, under the direction of Alan Raph, performed a concert featuring music of Charles Ives and pieces by contemporaries of Ives. Despite very strong winds, which blew over music stands, the day ended perfectly.

Ives songs for Naxos

In May and June 2005, Naxos recorded at Yale University’s Sprague Hall the complete songs (182 in this case) of Charles Ives. Sixteen singers, current or past Yale vocal students, were selected for the project by Doris Yarick-Cross and accompanied by three pianists. All the songs were recorded in Ives Society critical editions (including H. Wiley Hitchcock’s recent 129 Songs edition). Naxos plans for a release of the 4- to 5-CD set in 2006.

Ives on the radio

Here’s an interesting link: Ives for kids (a 6-minute show), a part of the “Classics for Kids” programs from Naomi Lewin at WGUC in Cincinnati, Ohio:

www.classicsforkids.com/shows/showview.asp?ID=29

From (Nizhniy Novgorod) Russia With Love

Elena Pridanova writes that she is writing a dissertation about “Ives's creation in the paradigma of American Transcendentalism.” It was discussed in Nizhniy Novgorod State Conservatory on October 22. “I can present it in internet but don't now there and how.” (epridanova@yandex.ru)

Ives in Hungary

Monika Kurtosi-Hlavacsek (ligatura@gmail.com) writes from Budapest: “I would like to tell you the wonderful news that we will have an "Ives-masterclass" with a Hungarian born professor, Peter Laki between Nov. 12–17. Unfortunately I don't know him, but as I've learnt he comes from the US, but I'm not sure about the state in which he lives. It's really a great occasion in Hungary—regarding Ives studies—for no one has searched Ives's music here, until now. There was some interest in American music in general, but I couldn't have imagined that it becomes possible so soon for me to take part in a several-days-long Ives class in our old Liszt Academy! The course will cover the following topics: the biography, of course; a comparison of Ives's uses of borrowed material with that of Mahler's (last summer I read a paper on that, in Burkohlder's Ives and His World, and I'm really curious about Prof. Laki's news in this field); and the following works: Concord Sonata, 114 Songs, 4th Symphony, Universe Symphony. I will write to you again with all my experiences after it is finished.”

Gregg Smith Singers

Choral conductor and Ivesian, Gregg Smith reports: “We will have a lot of Ives activity beginning with our celebration concert on November 19th in New York City. During this time we will be producing our album of early Ives works (eleven, newly recorded), to be capped off by our early recording [1972, Columbia Records] of the cantata The Celestial Country. The product will be released on Albany Records. Psalm 90 will be featured on our November 19th concert.

Central Presbyterian Church organ

Hampson Sisler, present-day music director at the New York City church where Ives worked (1900–02) as organist in his last years as a professional musician, tells us that Central Presbyterian Church’s organ has fallen into a sad state of disrepair. A fund has been set up to restore the instrument. The 20th-century organ is an 80-rank, 5,000-pipe instrument designed by Moller and last rebuilt in 1951. To donate to the restoration of the pipe organ, you may send a check (made out to “Central Presbyterian Church” to Organ Restoration Fund, Central Presbyterian Church, 593 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10021, att. Dr. Sisler. Mention your donation is in Ives memory. The church, once at 57th and 7th Ave. near Carnegie Hall, is now at Park Ave. and E. 64th St.