An Ives Song Book

Works by Charles Ives, Hugo Wolf, Lennon & McCartney, Sebastian Gottschick and Peter Bruun
TOUR PRODUCTION: Sinfonietta concert

Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen
Sebastian Gottschick – conductor
Anette von Eichel, mezzo soprano
Peter Bruun, tenor
Omar Ebrahim, baritone

Trails of reminiscence
“Some of the songs in this book, particularly among the latter ones, cannot be sung, and if they could, perhaps might prefer, if they had a say, to remain as they are; that is, “in the leaf” – and that they will remain in this peaceful state is more than presumable. An excuse (if none of the above are good enough) for their existence which suggests itself at this point is that a song has a few rights, the same as other ordinary citizens. Must it always be a polite triad, a “breve gaudium,” a ribbon to match the voice? Should it not be free at times from the dominion of the thorax, the diaphragm, the ear and other points of interest? Should it not have a chance to sing to itself, if it can sing? To enjoy itself without making a bow, if it can’t make a bow? To swim around in any ocean, if it can swim, without having to swallow “hook and bait,” or being sunk by an oceanic greyhound? If it happens to feel like trying to fly where humans cannot fly, to sing what cannot be sung, who shall stop it? – In short, must a song always be a song?”
(Charles Ives, from postscript of 114 Songs)

Charles Edward Ives (1874-1954) composed songs all through his working life – that is, his life as a composer: during the last thirty years of his life, he hardly composed anything anymore . In 1921 he financed a publication of a collection of 114 Songs, which one could, just as with Concord Sonata, published almost at the same time, consider a kind of musical autobiography. It consists of songs from three decades. Many of the texts set to music were written by Ives himself or by his wife Harmony Twitchell Ives. Alongside classical Lied structures (with German or French as well as English words), the big themes of his work and philosophy make up the center of the songs: memories of his childhood, of religious gatherings (often with quotes from ancient hymns), his father’s sphere of military bands, and visions of a more just future which reflect his political and ethical commitment.

An interesting aspect of this collection is that many of the songs are reworkings of earlier instrumental versions. Some of the original chamber music- or orchestral works were accompanied by a text, to be alternatively played by a soloist or sung. However, they were in fact originally conceived as purely instrumental “Lieder ohne Worte”. This is first and foremost reminiscent of a practice Ives inherited from his father George Ives, who taught  hymns to the congregation by playing them on the bugle. Secondly, the postscript from 114 Songs quoted above confirms that Ives believed that many of the songs were not suited for singing. He viewed his compositional activities as an experiment, and until the publication in 1920, few of the songs, in fact, had been sung, except by Ives himself. Furthermore, this procedure – the instrumental version as original, the song as a later arrangement – refers to Ives’ overall compositional method: in his music, he always depicts concrete experiences, not to be understood in the terms of literary programme music, but more in the character of “Lieder ohne Worte”, without necessarily bearing a specific text in mind.

Conductor and composer Sebastian Gottschick’s adaptation for a mixed ensemble, consisting of eight instruments, often refers to these earlier versions. Thus The Housatonic at Stockbridge is originally the third movement from Three Places in New England, a tone-poem for large orchestra. At the River and Watchman are parts of violin sonatas. Evening, Incantation, Like A Sick Eagle, The Circus Band, The New River and The See’r all exist as ensemble miniatures in various instrumentations. General William Booth Enters Into Heaven, a large-scale ballade in march tempo about the Salvation Army’s entry into heaven with their army of beggars, drug addicts and lepers, was not published until after 114 Songs. “It’s a good song – but not a song”, said baritone John Griggs, Ives’ friend and mentor and one of the few to have sung some of his early songs.

Ives’ music, which today sounds as vivid and modern as it did one hundred years ago, appears to open up in all directions. Often he mixes conflicting styles within one movement. In 114 Songs, art-lieder of the German romantic tradition can be found side by side with salon pieces, spirituals, hymns and aphoristic genre images. Only one type of song is completely absent in his later songs: the love song.

The programme will be supplemented with works by other historical as well as living masters of song.

> Se this concert in our concert archive An Ives Songbook

> Download song texts for this concert

 

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ATHELAS Sinfonietta Copenhagen
Kronprinsensgade 7, DK-1114 København K / tlf. +45 33 93 12 91