This is the third movement from A New England Holiday Symphony, by Charles Ives. It's entitled "Fourth of July", and I have to admit that this piece doesn't convey what I would call Independence Day vibes; still, it's interesting. Just goes to show what an insurance man can accomplish when, I suppose, he gets bored looking at actuarial tables.
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You're getting bold with these selections, Paco. Ives is something of an acquired taste and you have to recalibrate your expectations, but he's as American as apple pie. Part of the fun is scouting out the numerous quotations of other works, a perennial feature of his music. "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "Columbia, Gem of the Ocean" stand out in this movement. I wonder if your readers hear others.
ReplyDeletePunctuated by random fireworks explosions imitated by percussion!
ReplyDeleteI like Ives' string writing which slowly drew me in and gave me a basis to begin to like his works, which at first just sounded like a lot of noise. But eventually this symphony became a favorite which I've played many times.
A&A: Yes, it was fun identifying echoes of well-known standards. I caught traces of "Rally 'Round the Flag", "The Girl I Left Behind" and even "Reveille".
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