Ives (A) Song - For Anything

A vivid and vital Ives survey

Record and Artist Details

Composer or Director: Charles Ives

Genre:

Vocal

Label: Hyperion

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 71

Mastering:

Stereo
DDD

Catalogue Number: CDA67516

Tracks:

Composition Artist Credit
Feldeinsamkeit Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
(The) Things our fathers loved Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
Memories Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
(The) Housatonic at Stockbridge Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
Swimmers Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
(The) Cage Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
(The) Greatest man Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
General William Booth Enters into Heaven Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
Remembrance Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
Berceuse Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
West London Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
Tom sails away Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
When stars are in the quiet skies Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
Weil' auf mir Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
Ich grolle nicht Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
(Du) alte Mutter Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
Where the eagle Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
Walking Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
Yellow Leaves Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
(The) Side Show Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
Elégie Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
(The) New River Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
Like a sick eagle Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
Ann Street Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
Slugging a vampire Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
Thoreau Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
Serenity Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
Tolerance Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
Charlie Rutlage Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
1,2,3 Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
(A) Song - For Anything Charles Ives, Composer
Charles Ives, Composer
Gerald Finley, Baritone
Julius Drake, Piano
Ives, so Calum MacDonald’s admirable notes tell us, wrote in all about 200 songs – more, that is, than the 114 he published privately in 1922. That in turn is far more than we usually hear in concerts, though amazingly 114 is exactly the number of songs listed in the current catalogue. On the other hand, I find no disc devoted exclusively to Ives – until this new and more than worthy edition.

First, to the artists. Gerald Finley has made many excellent records and, as far as I can recall, never a poor or indifferent one. But if he is not by this time universally recognised as a singer of the front rank, this should leave no doubt of it. These songs can encourage at one extreme a rough declamatory style and at the other an almost voiceless intimacy. Without in any way underplaying, Finley is always essentially a singer – his tone and command of the singing line are a pleasure in themselves. But he also has the absolute mastery of the composer’s idioms and, with Julius Drake, his fearless and totally committed pianist, the technical, virtuosic skills to realise his intentions with (amid all the quirks) complete conviction of naturalness.

This is a selection that very satisfactorily balances early and late, rumbustious and contemplative. Several of the early German settings are included, always beautiful and always developing with some touch that is entirely personal. Of a quite distinctive beauty are those like Remembrance, Berceuse, and The Housatonic at Stockbridge where voice and piano work a dreamy, misty spell. And still more characteristic are the settings of his own verses evoking memories of childhood. The ‘character’ songs (such as Charlie Rutlage) and the ‘big’ numbers (General William Booth Enters into Heaven) become less prominent than they commonly seem in a recital group where they are programmed as an effective tour de force. The total impression is of an astonishing individuality and, more importantly, of a completely honest, dauntless and increasingly to be valued musical identity.

Explore the world’s largest classical music catalogue on Apple Music Classical.

Included with an Apple Music subscription. Download now.

Gramophone Print

  • Print Edition

From £6.87 / month

Subscribe

Gramophone Digital Club

  • Digital Edition
  • Digital Archive
  • Reviews Database
  • Events & Offers

From £9.20 / month

Subscribe

Gramophone Reviews

  • Reviews Database

From £6.87 / month

Subscribe

Gramophone Digital Edition

  • Digital Edition
  • Digital Archive

From £6.87 / month

Subscribe

                              

If you are a library, university or other organisation that would be interested in an institutional subscription to Gramophone please click here for further information.