Meet a Composer: Charles Ives

Meet a Composer: Charles Ives

 

Years Lived: 1874 - 1954

Period: Modern

Country: United States

Charles Ives was a 20th century American composer. Ives' father, who was a bandleader, taught Charles in his early years and Ives played drums in his father's band. At fourteen Ives became a church organist and also composed music used in church services. He went on to study at Yale. His professors didn't particularly enjoy his unique style of music and forced him to write music within the guidelines of the music that was being composed at the time. 

Ives worked in insurance and composed on the side. Most of his works didn't become famous until after his death. He wrote music that quoted hymns, popular tunes, classical compositions, and folk music. He used polytonality, tone clusters and other experimental musical ideas in his music and is known for dissonance (notes that sound like they don't go well together) in his pieces, but there is an underlying tonality and shape to his music. He composed vocal works, symphonies, and chamber music.

Did You Know?

 

Ives loved sports, especially baseball and football. The picture above is of Ives as the star pitcher for the Hopkins School in New Haven, CT where Ives was the captain of the baseball team.

Ives started writing music when he was still in his teens. He composed Variations on "America" when he was 17 years old. It was written for a Fourth of July celebration in Brewster, New York.

 

Ives wrote his Symphony No. 2 in 1901 when he was in his twenties, only a few years after finishing school, but it wasn't performed until 50 years later. The New York Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Bernstein, premiered the work in 1951.

Classics for Kids includes more information about Ives. Can you answer all the quiz questions that follow this short podcast from Classics for Kids about Charles Ives?  

 

There is a Charles Ives Society which includes recordings and in depth information about Ives.

This Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids article gives more information on Ives and includes excerpts of some of his music.