Symphony No. 2/Browning Overtu

As for the Browning Overture, it may be there to justify the usual description of the Second Symphony as being accessible. Next to this dark composition, Hegelian metaphysics and quantum mechanics seem accessible. You definately don't want to play this one on the way to work on Monday morning.

Ive's Second Symphony is one of America's greatest musical treasures and belongs in every music lover's collection. This performance might make a fine second or third version to have on hand, but, if you are going to have only one performance, this shouldn't be it.

The CD discussed here includes one work by Ives at his "hardest" -- the Robert Browning Overture and a work by Ives at his most accessible -- the Symphony No. 2. The disc is part of the Naxos "American Classics" series. The music is beautifully performed using an updated critical edition by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra directed by Kenneth Schermerhorn and is available at a bargain price.

Ives intended the "Robert Browning Overture" as part of a larger, never-completed project devoted to the work of famous authors. The work is based on Browning's poem "Paracelsus" and for me captures some of the mysterious spirit of alchemy and of the perils of trying to bring entirely nature under human control. The work runs about 25 minutes and alternates muted, mystical music with a loud march-like theme full of dissonances. The brass blares, the strings are shril, and the tympani plays an incessant boom -boom in the backround. Some of this music reminded me of a sophisticated version of Dukas's Sorcerer's Apprentice. Ives became dissatisfied with this piece late in his life apparently because he found it excessively formal. I found myself enjoying this music and thought it held together well.

Ives's second symphony has been well-described as the first real American symphony. He composed it between 1902 and 1910 although the work was not performed until 1951. The work is in five movements and is most notable for its incorporation of American folk songs, revival hymns, college anthems, Steven Foster tunes, and other such distinctive American material. There also are hints of late European romantic composers. The materials are woven together seamlessly in a gentle work with an unmistakably American flavor. In this symphony, I think Ives both captured and created an American form or Art music very much in the way Walt Whitman captured and created an American poetry. It is unfortunate that this work waited so long for recognition.

In his biography "Charles Ives: A Life with Music" Jan Swafford discusses the musical quality of this symphony and of its immediate successor, Ives's Symphony No. 3, noting that "With these two symphonies Ives created single-handedly, the nationalistic art music for which Dvorak had called and a good many American composers attempted without success. Rather than trying to cash in on that accomplishment, Ives moved on. ... His goal was never in the direction of what he would denounce as 'the old medieval idea of nationalism.' Local color to him was a means not an end." (Stafford, p. 158)

This disc will introduce the listener to Ives both hard and soft.
With its recent companion disc on Naxos, which features the Third Symphony, the listener will be able to enjoy and understand Ives's efforts in creating an American symphonic music.

The first bravo goes to the Charles Ives's society who engaged Jonathan Elkus in the task of preparing a critical edition. Elkus reports to have corrected nearly a thousand errors in the version used by Bernstein. So, at least in some sense, listening to this version is like listening to a new work.

The second bravo goes to the Naxos recording engineers who have given us a clear, dynamic, and well-balanced recording.

The final bravo goes to Kenneth Schermerhorn and the Nashville Symphony who play with a wonderful sense of ensemble. Clearly, the group must have been very well rehearsed because for the most part (except for some slightly ragged 1st violins in the final movement) the orchestra plays very cleanly. My only nit pick is I wished the French Horn solos had been played with a bit more expression and bit less effort. The brass ensemble work is surprising good though.

For those not familiar with the Ives Second, I think you are in for a treat. Many of the comments made in my review of the MTT/CSO 1st and 4th Symphonies apply here as well. Ives was a genius at making what are for me musical kaleidoscopes. He somehow manages to quote (sometimes in spirit, sometimes literally) from an incredible range of diverse sources, often at the same time, and somehow it not only works, but works brilliantly.

From the liner notes we learn that Ives saw himself as a 'continuing spirit' in the tradition of Beethoven. To my ear the European influences sound more like Brahms, Dvorak, and Wagner, but of course those composers were greatly inspired by Beethoven. Other influences are those found in many of Ives' works including church hymns, band music, and the popular music of his times. This odd sounding (pun intended -grin-) mix results in something that is almost always interesting, and at times fascinating and moving. I find this work immediately accessible and very fresh sounding. With the emergence of this new critical edition once can hope this work will appear on the upcoming schedules of symphony orchestras.

I wasn't familiar with the Robert Browning Overture. My first impression is I didn't feel like I had missed anything. It uses some of the compositional techniques found in works like the 4th Symphony (which I am a huge fan of), but regretfully this work didn't do much for me. It certainly seems to be a difficult work from both the POV of the performers and the audience. The orchestra seemed to lack the confidence they showed in the 2nd. Too much of the performance sounds ragged to me. As for the work itself, Ives was not satisfied with it and later repudiated it.

But, please do not let these less than enthusiastic comments dissuade you from buying this CD. I highly recommend it. All the better that it's available at a bargain price.