Charles Ives - Symphony n.4 - II. Comedy: Allegretto (first part)

Charles Ives - Symphony n.4
Michael Tilson-Thomas and Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus

The Symphony No. 4, S. 4 (K. 1A4) by Charles Ives (1874 1954) was written between the years of 1910 and 1916. The symphony is notable for its multi-layered complexity - usually necessitating two conductors in performance - and for its over-sized orchestra. Combining elements and techniques of Ives's previous compositional work, this has been called "one of his most definitive works"; Ives' biographer, Jan Swafford has called it "Ives's climactic masterpiece."

First movement

This movement and the third movement were first performed in New York City on January 29, 1927. In contrast to Ives's other works for large orchestra, which begin in quiet and meditative moods, this symphony starts with a strong, maestoso, fortissimo bass line, immediately followed by a rising trumpet fanfare. A quiet passage follows. The movement ends with chorus singing the Epiphany hymn Watchman ("Watchman, tell us of the night.") Unlike the bold beginning, the movement dies away, quadruple-pianissimo, at the end.

Second movement

Ives bases this "Comedy" movement on Hawthorne's story The Celestial Railroad. It is possibly his most extreme essay in overlapping of multiple thematic material, found also in his Holidays Symphony. Tunes quoted include The Sweet By and By, Beulah Land, Marching Through Georgia, Ye Christian Heralds, Jesus, Lover of my Soul and Nearer, my God, to Thee. The complexity of this movement means that at least one additional conductor is normally required. The music builds to several riotous climaxes before ebbing away.

Third movement

First performed in New York on May 10, 1933 with the first movement, this is an apparently straight-forward, academic fugue, ending with a brief quotation of Joy to the World. Ives called it "an expression of the reaction of life into formalism and ritualism." Paradoxically, because of its juxtaposition with the other three harmonically, tonally and rhythmically complex movements, Jan Swafford calls this most outwardly simple and conservative movement "in a way the most revolutionary movement of all." The movement is an orchestration from the fugue in Ives's first string quartet, which he wrote while still at Yale.

Fourth movement

The symphony ends with what Ives called "an apotheosis of the preceding content, in terms that have something to do with the reality of existence and its religious experience."

Category:

Music

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• charles
• ives
• symphony
• orchestra
• orchestral
• classical
• music
• modernism

[SgtDonuts]

I love whistling this as I walk down the street

[MaestroTJS]

Ives must have had a very, uhh, "different" sense of humour.

[madmanwithmasck]

@MaestroTJS drugs.

[madmanwithmasck]

@SgtDonuts liar, liar, pants on fire.

[Nepenthakovich]

I came to this video a year ago and hated it: now I can't stop listening!

[sutphoe]

Ives' music is always a pleasure to listen to. Thanks for posting

[ViewerNotes]

Mi movimiento favorito

[Chesterton7]

This movement is astounding, especially in context with the 4th movement. Thank you for posting it.

[Zubdub]

Great piece!