Musicians often have discussions about what the real meaning of the piece is. That is the question that is left unanswered. Each time the trumpet is answered with harsh outbursts from the flutes (onstage) - apart from the last one. The strings, playing from behind the stage, play very slow, chorale-like music throughout the piece while several times the trumpet (playing from behind the audience) plays a short group of notes that Ives described as "the eternal question of existence". Perhaps the piece which is most often heard today is the short fanfare The Unanswered Question (1908), written for the very unusual combination of trumpet, four flutes, and string orchestra. He left all his best anthems and organ music in the church library, and these were thrown out in 1915 when the church moved so most of them are lost.Ĭentral Park in the Dark Ĭentral Park in the Dark is a piece for orchestra which describes the mysterious, quiet park and then sounds of music coming from nearby nightclubs in Manhattan (playing the popular music of the day, ragtime, quoting Hello My Baby and even Sousa's Washington Post March). His Symphony Number 1 was fairly traditional, but Symphony Number 2 is much more modern sounding, even ending with a dissonant chord with 11 notes. The variations differ sharply: a running line, a set of close harmonies, a march, a polonaise, and a ragtime allegro the interludes are one of the first uses of bitonality. His organ piece Variations on "America" (1891), takes the tune My Country, 'Tis of Thee (which is the same tune as God Save the Queen) and changes it in several amusing variations, using a march, a ragtime and bitonality. Although he is now best known for his orchestral music, he composed two string quartets and other chamber music. He was a very good pianist and the piano parts are often quite difficult. Ives published more than 100 of his songs. Ives died in 1954 in New York City at 12:32 PM. He spent some time revising works he had written early, but never wrote any more new pieces. His health problems continued, and he retired from the insurance business in 1930. After several heart attacks in 1918 he composed very little. When he was better he composed more than ever before. These attacks may have been more to do with his imagination. In 1907, Ives had his first " heart attack". Some of his business friends were often surprised to find out that he was also a composer. He was very good at his job and became very well known in the insurance business. However, most people thought of him as the composer of a simple waltz tune called The Bells of Yale.Ĭharles Ives, left, captain of the baseball team and pitcher for Hopkins Grammar School Adult years Īfter his studies at Yale Ives continued to work as a church organist while working for an insurance firm. By the time Charles graduated he had composed more than 40 songs, several marches, overtures, anthems and organ pieces, a string quartet and a symphony. He did not do any sport at Yale because his father had forbidden him to take part in sport so that he would spend his time on studying. He always had a huge admiration for his father who had encouraged him in his musical experiments. It was a terrible blow to Charles when his father died on 4 November 1894. He had more understanding of what Ives was trying to do. The choirmaster at the Centre Church where Ives played the organ was John Griggs. Ives got annoyed when his teacher told him he could not finish a section of music on a dissonant chord, but Ives liked it like that. His teacher Horatio Parker was very good and taught him important basic techniques of composing, but he could not understand some of things that Ives was writing in his music. Ives spent four years at Yale University. At the same time he also enjoyed sport and was good at baseball, football and tennis. Ives became a church organist at the age of 14 and wrote various hymns and songs for church services, including his Variations on 'America'. His father also taught him the music of Stephen Foster. Charles also listened in Danbury town square to his father's marching band and other bands that were playing on other sides of the square, so that he heard a mixture of several pieces of music at the same time. In this way the young Charles became used to modern sounds that were quite different from traditional, Romantic music. As well as teaching him counterpoint and introducing him to the music of J.S.Bach he trained his son’s musical ear by getting him to sing a tune in one key while he played the accompaniment in another. His father taught him a great deal about the music and encouraged him to experiment with new sounds. Army bandleader in the American Civil War. Charles Ives was born in Danbury, Connecticut.
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