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charles ives' string quartet is about to beat the shit out of you

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sean:
both are those are good ives pieces, but not the one i wanna talk about today.

TODAY i am going to talk to you about Charles Ives's 2nd piano sonata, known as Concord. Ives started writing Concord way back in 1904, but only started serious work on it in 1911 and had it pretty much done by 1915. He decided to publish it 5 years later in 1920, and this was the piece where people finally started to go "oh dang guys you know charles ives he is pretty good i would not fight a string quartet that plays his music those are some hella nasty sounding harmonies."  like a good fucking number of early 20th century composers, ives got most of his melodic material from folk melodies and spirituals, and his music can go from some nice cute folky melody to some really really nasty sounding chords. concord in full is a four movement piece, inspired by Transcendentalism for whatever reason, i guess he was into it. that might sound kinda bullshitty but hes named the 4 movements of this piece after transcendentalist authors (movement titles being Emerson, Hawthrone, The Alcotts, and Thoreau). this is the first half of the first movement, Emerson. if you wanna hear more, youtube is pretty easy to figure out.
WHAT

edit: these are some goofy facts about the piece that i saw on wikipedia that i would like to share with you:
dude was too cool to use barlines in this piece.
one of the chords (i should probably say tone cluster though) involves pressing down on the piano keys with a 14 and 3/4ths inch block of wood.
dude be quotin the opening bars of beethovens 5th in the opening bars because beethoven is hard dont fuck with that dude

CoyoteKnight:
If I listen to his quartet, does he promise not to beat me up?

David_Dovey:
Which recording is the best for "Concerto for Tanned Muscular Men in Sleeveless Tuxedos"?

pwhodges:
In 1917 Ives wrote a protest song (words and music), and recorded it.  You can find the recording on YouTube; but here it is with the Kronos Quartet playing along with the recording.

Here are the words he wrote:

They Are There

There's a time in many a life,
when it's do though facing death
and our soldier boys will do their part
that people can live
in a world where all will have a say.
They're conscious always of their country's aim,
which is Liberty for all.
Hip hip hooray you'll hear them say
as they go to the fighting front.

Brave boys are now in action
They are there, they will help to free the world
They are fighting for the right
But when it comes to might,
They are there, they are there, they are there,
As the Allies beat up all the warhogs,
The boys'll be there fighting hard
and then the world will shout
the battle cry of Freedom.
Tenting on a new camp ground.

When we're through this cursed war,
All started by a sneaking gouger,
making slaves of men
Then let all the people rise,
and stand together in brave, kind Humanity.
Most wars are made by small stupid
selfish bossing groups
while the people have no say.
But there'll come a day
Hip hip Hooray
when they'll smash all dictators to the wall.

Then it's build a people's world nation Hooray
Ev'ry honest country free to live its own native life.
They will stand for the right,
but if it comes to might,
They are there, they are there, they are there.
Then the people, not just politicians
will rule their own lands and lives.
Then you'll hear the whole universe
shouting the battle cry of Freedom.
Tenting on a new camp ground.

blaha 41:

--- Quote from: sean on 25 Jan 2011, 12:37 ---dude was too cool to use barlines in this piece.

--- End quote ---

My friend is apprenticing with Fred Ho ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Ho ) and apparently he hand writes his scores and then xeroxes them to give to his musicians, and on his latest one he does use barlines but marks out the ones initially printed on the paper and draws in his own as he sees fit. He wasn't at one of the first rehearsals for his latest piece and apparently everyone in the room used the wrong barlines the entire rehearsal.

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