Charles Ives - The "Concord" Sonata, performed by John Kirkpatrick (1968)

A sometimes tricksy but exhilarating 40 minutes of early 20th century pianism, courtesy of Charles Ives (1874-1954) and his early champion pianist John Kirkpatrick (1905-1991).  This 1968 LP was Kirkpatrick's second recording of the sonata, having played the premiere recording in 1948 and also the concert premieres in 1938/39.

Ives began work on what would become "Concord" around 1905, and it was eventually self-published in 1920.  The four movements are named for literary figures of the mid-19th century transcendentalist movement based in Concord, Massachusetts: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Bronson and Louisa May Alcott, and Henry David Thoreau.  Ives pushes forward early 20th century American music in bold, impressionistic strides, sneaks in little quotes of Beethoven, and at one point in 'Hawthorne' calls for a plank of wood to be used on the piano for a cluster chord.

Kirkpatrick's recording still sounds rich and powerful, and this CD release adds the bonus of six tracks played by Ives himself.  Three of these recordings of parts of Concord date from 1943 (plus a tiny fragment from 1938), and two are "Emerson transcriptions with interpolated improvisations" that Ives recorded in London as far back as 1933.  These six tracks originally appeared on a 100th Anniversary box set in 1974.  The recording quality is as raw as you'd expect for the era, but it's nonetheless fascinating to hear the composer's touch on his music.

link
pw: sgtg

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/Ilan Volkov - Zappa, Anderson, Ives (2018)

A concert recording from the Glasgow City Halls a year and a half ago, which I picked up when it was given a recent re-broadcast.  The focus on Zappa for the promotional material (like the image above) might seem a bit off-target when you realise his music only takes up the first 13 minutes of the concert, but regardless, it's great to hear The Perfect Stranger performed live.  Originally conducted by Pierre Boulez for the album of the same name in 1984, the evocation of a sleazy vacuum cleaner salesman is in good hands with Ilan Volkov and the BBC SSO.

So what music would be ideal to pair with Zappa, to make up the main meat of a concert?  Varèse might be the obvious thought, but here we get Charles Ives' New England Holidays, which is also a great choice.  Written over a few years as four individual pieces, the movements are intended to evoke memories of childhood holidays, and do so in grand style.  Programmed in between Zappa and Ives is British composer Julian Anderson's piano concerto The Imaginary Museum, which the SSO/Volkov originally premiered in 2017.  Written as a virtual world tour, it sounds fantastic and makes me want to hear more by Anderson.  More Ives coming next week.

link
pw: sgtg