Re: Ives Concord

[jerry and judy <jerbidoc@zianet.com>]

>At 10:22 PM 8/3/99 -0400, Bob Merkin wrote:
>I've met many orchestra instrumentalists who just flat-out cringe
>>when I ask them about their feelings about Ives. (There's the famous story
>of the
>>Italian maestro who ran from Ives' music shed screaming "This is not music!
>This is
>>noise!")
>>
>
>Yes, but what glorious noise!
>
>Of course, I come from New England (actually grew up a town away from
>Concord), so Ives' motor patterns and philosophies all resonate for me.
>
>On the surface, you would think Ives' quirky character (both in his music
>and in his personality) and the contrapuntal nature of much of his music
>might appeal to Gould -- but I agree with your theory that the consciously
>nationalistic side might have been a problem.  Perhaps this might also
>explain Gould's disinterest in Bartok, French music, etc... although there
>are exceptions, even within the composers we tend to label as nationalistic
>that Gould did like, he tended to single out for praise pieces of music by
>those composers that were pure (or at any rate not programmatic).
>
>Michael




Wagner is (usually considered) extremely nationalistic and extremely
programmatic.  Did Glenn really like Wagner's music?, simply admire it en
toto?, or was it something else? (maybe its drama and theatrical
allusions?)  I've never quite 'gotten' that connection.


Jerry