Saturday, September 18, 2010

Charles Ives

Charles Ives (1874-1954) was a pioneer of combining American tunes, feelings and sounds with European musical forms. His music was a radical departure from what had been done before. Both Henry Cowell (C concert...violin sonata) and Lou Harrison (H concert...string quartet) learned from him and were promoters of his music.
There is a well written biographical sketch online at http://www.charlesives.org/02bio.htm
And the words he wrote for one of his songs gives a clue to how he thought of music.

I think there must be a place in the soul
all made of tunes, of tunes long ago;
I hear the organ on Main Street corner,
Aunt Sarah humming Gospels; Summer evenings,
The village cornet band, playing in the square.
The town's Red, White and Blue,
all Red, white and Blue; Now! Hear the words
But they sing in my soul of the things our Fathers loved.

Thanks to Will Johnson for the quote and the link!