Essays Before a Sonata1st World Publishing, 2004 - 136 pages Purchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help support our free internet library of downloadable eBooks. Visit us online at www.1stWorldLibrary.ORG - - Charles Ives (1874-1954) was probably one of the most psycho - intellectually brilliant, imaginative and flexible Americans to ever "walk the land of free-dom." A graduate of Yale, he became a multi-millio-naire in the American insurance industry, introducing brilliant innovations within that industry. He also, unlike a few composers, found the time and the money (being a shrewd and practical businessman) to get married and have children. His accomplishments for which he is best known, however, are those in the field of music. At the time of its composition, Ives' music was probably the most radically modern in history, and by itself had enough material to serve as the foundation of modern 20th century music. For example, at the turn of the century, this eccentric composer created band works featuring multiple melodies of multiple time signatures opposing and complimenting each other within the same piece. Ives was also a revolutionary atonal composer, who created, essentially without precedent, many atonal works that not only pre-date those of Schoenberg, but are just as sophisticated, and arguably even more so, than those of the 12-tone serialist. |
Contents
BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH | 7 |
INTRODUCTORY FOOTNOTE BY CHARLES IVES | 11 |
PROLOGUE | 13 |
EMERSON | 21 |
HAWTHRONE | 55 |
THE ALCOTS | 61 |
THOREAU | 65 |
EPILOGUE | 87 |
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Alcott American artistic intuition ascetic atonal music beauty become Beethoven believe better Brahms cause Cesar Franck character CHARLES IVES classic color comes common composer Concord conscious contemplation courage Debussy deeper definite discoveries divine doctrine Emerson emotion enthusiasm essays experience expression feel freedom genius greater Hawthorne hear heart Henry Thoreau Herbert Spencer higher human humility ideal influence innate inspiration intellectual interest kind less living look man's mankind manner matter melodies moral Nature nearer never over-soul perfect truths perhaps philosophy piano piano sonata played poet political possibly program music progress Puritan Ragtime reason relation repose revelation Sam Staples Sartor Resartus seems sense sensuous sentiment sincere sonata soul sounds spiritual subconscious suggests sympathy symphonies talent theory thing Thoreau thought transcendent transcendental Transcendentalists true unity universal mind vague virtue Wagner Walden Wendell Phillips words