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Kate Molleson delves into a period when Charles Ives starts to promote his epic Piano Sonata No 2.

Charles Ives is considered a leading American composer of the early 20th century. Known for many musical innovations, his was a unique voice, a pioneer who combined elements of Western and American music traditions. He’s also been called a Yankee Maverick and much of his creative life was spent in obscurity. Marking the 150th anniversary since his birth, Kate Molleson shines the spotlight on the life and music of Charles Ives. This journey begins in Danbury where Ives grew up, going on to study at Yale, then working in Insurance in New York, and coming to a close in the mid twentieth century. In those final decades, and largely due to ill health, Ives had stopped composing. Ironically, it was at this point when his creative endeavours had ceased, that his music started to generate much interest.

Charles Ives had numerous health problems late in life, including a heart attack. Yet despite his doctor’s warning, he didn’t slow down at all. Not only was he working still in insurance, composing many substantial works too, but he was also becoming more active as a writer. He had written plenty of articles on insurance before, but now there were essays too on the role of art. He was interested in other writers as well, including the transcendentalists Emerson, Hawthorne, Alcott and Thoreau, each of whom became a title of a specific movement of Ives’s unconventional and reflective Piano Sonata No 2. He had this work published and sent out over a hundred copies to start interesting people in his music. In the main the replies were negative, but he did receive three positive replies, which in turn lead to the beginnings of a growing group of followers. Although late in life, Ives now began to get recognition for his music.

At the River
Dawn Upshaw, soprano
Orchestra of St Luke’s
John Adams, conductor

Serenity
Dawn Upshaw, soprano
Orchestra of St Luke’s
John Adams, conductor

Piano Sonata No 2: Concord, Mass., 1840-60 (Thoreau)
Joonas Ahonen, piano
Sharon Bezaly, flute

A Symphony. New England Holidays (excerpt)
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Sir Andrew Davis, conductor

Two Little Flowers
Gerald Finley, baritone
Julius Drake, piano

Romanzo di Central Park
Gerald Finley, baritone
Magnus Johnston, violin
Julius Drake, piano

Violin Sonata No 2
Hilary Hahn, violin
Valentina Lisita, piano

Produced by Luke Whitlock