The Orchestra Now and Charles Ives's AmericaThe Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall was the ideal venue to celebrate the 150th birthday of acclaimed American modernist composer, actuary, and businessman Charles Ives.The Orchestra Now (TON) took to the Perelman stage, with its exquisitely carved proscenium arch and superb acoustics, and presented Charles Ives’s America. Preempted by the concert was a discussion about Ives and his legendary musical gifts by esteemed conductor Leon Botstein, baritone William Sharp, host J. Peter Burkholder, and cultural historian Joseph Horowitz.Four scores of Ives’ extensive music compositions were performed, including patriotic songs, ballads, and often combinations of his music with melodies by Stephen Foster. Burkholder narrated with an informative script of this once-overlooked composer whose music is now at the forefront of renowned American composers. Charles Edward Ives - National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution (NPG.82.185). Clara Sipprell, CC0, via Wikimedia CommonsThe Fourth of JulyThe Fourth of July from the Holidays Symphony starts with a more romantic sound, as Ives’s “veils the tune like a dream or a distant memory.” Columbia, The Gem of the Ocean, wove in and out of this piece, and Burkholder pointed out this work is “a collage as one memory brings up another,” as the second half becomes more pronounced. Flutes played like the tune of marching soldiers; the orchestra exploded in the sounds of celebration and fireworks, then softened to total silence. Ives hoped this piece would bring up one’s memories, and the audience praised his patriotism with a round of uplifting applause.Central Park in the DarkBurkholder remarked it was a pleasure to celebrate Ives’s life–he was experimental and nostalgic. Ives presented layers of tunes in Central Park in the Dark: strings, night sounds, gentle undulation rising faster and slower, and the sounds of nature, all included. Ragtime being played on a piano could be heard, and noises from the park grew into a frenzied crescendo. A tremolo pounded away, and then the soft sound of the night unfolded. The audience celebrated the genius of this gifted composer.Orchestral Set No. 2Orchestral Set No. 2 “captures the way singing brings people together in a time of grief,” Burkholder said, and the score comprised three quick tunes, with instruments “speaking” in different voices. Ives sought to create an American Symphony with great admiration, Burkholder added. It was a magnificent show of Ives’s aptitude for music combined with the orchestra. Maestro Leon Botstein. Photo by Edward KliszusSymphony No. 2Symphony No. 2, the treasure of the evening, comprised five movements, each with distinctive speed and orchestral sounds. In 1951, Leonard Bernstein conducted the world premiere of this symphony with the New York Philharmonic, and the reception to this piece astounded people everywhere, including Ives himself. It was a magnificent ending to the evening.Burkholder concluded, “Charles Ives was not that simple. He was a complicated man.” But his music, as complex as the man himself, was astounding.Charles Ives’s America was presented by The Orchestra Now at Carnegie Hall. Leon Botstein, Conductor; William Sharp, baritone; Donald Berman, piano; J. Peter Burkholder, host; cultural historian Joseph Horowitz.Readers may also enjoy I Love You: Grieg’s Contribution To The Love Song Genre, and Notturno: Late Night Vibes in Classical Music.
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