Long ago my mother picked up a 33 1/3 rpm recording of Charles Ives’ ’’Second Symphony’’ and ‘’The Fourth of July’’ somewhere and my brothers and I played it over and over until it wasn’t good to listen to any more. The performances on the record were conducted by Leonard Bernstein, and I have never been able to enjoy other versions, even though the others have generally been very fine. It seemed to me that Bernstein ’’got’’ Ives better than the other conductors — he saw the invisible markings that said ’’jokingly with reverence’’, ‘’let’s make them wake up in their expensive seats’’, and ‘’with innocent delight.’’ The major influences on Ives seem to be Johannes Brahms and Stephen Foster. He composed with gusto. There’s no one like him (that I know of).
His short composition titled ’’The Fourth of July’’ may not be one of his very best compositions, but it’s fun to listen to, especially when you are in the mood to set off firecrackers. I would put ‘’The Unanswered Question’’ and the Second and Fourth Symphonies first among the things of his that I know. And ’’General William Booth Enters into Heaven.’’
Here’s Bernstein conducting the Second Symphony:
In his music Ives expressed gratitude to Europe for the musical riches that it bestowed on us — and went on being American, joyously and unapologetically. He’s a good composer to listen to on the Fourth of July.
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