This CD is exactly what its title implies—a portrait of Ives through some of his most characteristic music. No soft options are taken. At times this is the rough ride up the mountain, as Ives called it, but the view is magnificent. Henry Herford, whose recordings of Ives's songs on Unicorn-Kanchana I have particularly commended (9/91 and 3/92), is ideally suited to delivering classics like General William Booth, rare pop numbers from Ives's student days like The bells of Yale, and the composer's exquisite farewell to composition—the late Sunrise from 1926, to his own text. And Ingo Metzmacher, with his excellent German band, knows exactly how to get the most out of Ives's exploratory studies such as the Tone Roads pieces and From the steeples and the mountains. Gone are the days when tough songs like On the Antipodes or Aeschylus and Sophocles were avoided or approached tentatively! Now they are revelations.
David G. Porter provides booklet-notes and is responsible for new editions of some of the works in this anthology. Apart from the five songs actually sung by Herford the others are done in Ives's own instrumental versions. From this point of view he pioneered the modern mixed chamber ensemble very early in the century. But there are often significant differences between vocal and instrumental settings: at times the latter are fascinating recompositions. For example, The pond (track 13) has an added introduction and much more textural detail to amplify this atmospheric impression. The Indians (track 20) acquires an introduction and a drum part. There are a few tiny balance problems in the recording—it's hard to hear the piano in The gong and at other times Ives expects a solo violin, for example, to balance against a loud cornet.
Full texts and notes are provided in a release containing many novelties. This is an outstanding anthology—the best now on offer—admirably chosen and planned with every component vividly delivered. I cannot imagine that anyone interested in Ives will not rush to obtain it.'