All ives: 9th symphony concert by Various, sun 15 maí 2022, Frá (2022/2022), Hljómsveitarstjóri Patrick Hahn, Historische Stadthalle, Wuppertal, Germany

CHARLES IVES Variations on ›America‹ CHARLES IVES Orchestral Songs CHARLES IVES Symphony No. 2 As a convinced and at times eccentric non-conformist, Charles Ives was for a long time pushed into the role of outsider by the "music establishment" and labeled as a "Sunday composer". All his life Ives made a living from insurance. He wrote his 2nd symphony around the turn of the century, but it was not premiered until half a century later. He wrote the ›Variations on America‹ - originally composed for organ - when he was just 17 years old. Even back then, he fell back on the music that surrounded him: he used the American folk anthem ›America‹ as a template for experiments with bitonality and quarter tones, thereby jarring not only the patriotic song, but also the musical tradition with a wink. Ives perfected this approach in later works: He combined different styles of music and mostly interwoven them with folk material in a humorous way. American history and way of life are reflected in Ives' works in the form of the collage technique. The "Sunday composer" Ives became the father of American modernism. As a pioneer, he was ahead of his time. It took many decades for him to gain recognition.