Composer

:

Charles Ives

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song: Art Song

Compose Date

:

1917

Publication Date

:

1922

First Performance

:

Mar 15, 1929

Average_duration

:

1:49

Charles Ives' "The Things Our Fathers Loved" is a four-movement work for voice and piano, composed in 1917. The piece was premiered in 1921 by baritone Richard Crooks and pianist John Kirkpatrick. The first movement, "The Shining Big Sea Water," is a setting of a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The music is characterized by a flowing, lyrical melody in the piano, which is accompanied by a simple, declamatory vocal line. The overall effect is one of peaceful contemplation, evoking the vastness and beauty of the sea. The second movement, "In Flanders Fields," is a setting of the famous poem by John McCrae. The music is somber and mournful, with a slow, dirge-like tempo and a haunting melody in the piano. The vocal line is similarly mournful, with a sense of resignation and loss. The third movement, "The Circus Band," is a lively and playful setting of a poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson. The music is characterized by a jaunty, syncopated rhythm in the piano, which is accompanied by a lively, energetic vocal line. The overall effect is one of joy and celebration, evoking the excitement and energy of a circus. The final movement, "Tom Sails Away," is a setting of a poem by Bliss Carman. The music is characterized by a gentle, lilting melody in the piano, which is accompanied by a simple, heartfelt vocal line. The overall effect is one of nostalgia and longing, evoking the bittersweet emotions of saying goodbye to a loved one. Overall, "The Things Our Fathers Loved" is a deeply personal and evocative work, reflecting Ives' love of American poetry and his own experiences growing up in New England. The music is characterized by a unique blend of traditional tonality and experimental harmonies, reflecting Ives' innovative approach to composition.

More....