A little of I've(s) in all of us [Charles Ives discussion]

A little of I've(s) in all of us...

TD 570: Dan Sterns makes some perceptive comments on Ives:

>I also have a nagging feeling that when
>Schiff says, "Ives has been used to authenticate everything from cowboy
tunes to conceptualism,"
>he's also offering a glimpse into why this is... in other words, are a lot
more composers and
>critics (etc.) more willing to line up behind some permutation of the Ives
complex -- or quoting
>Schiff again, "a bottomless grab bag of contradictory achievements and
promises" -- than they are
>behind his actual music? Perhaps these really are just one in the same?

This is an interesting analysis that makes Ives a kind of "looking glass"
-- a person can see whatever he wants in it, including the person himself.
This is almost verging on a kind of John Cagean approach. There could be
some truth to this... given the fact that Ives encompasses so many
different things. It just takes a "spinmeister.." and away we go...

HOWEVER, there IS some substantiation to various claims on Ives'
orientation, particularly with regard to intonation. Soon, Johnny Reinhard
will be releasing a bombshell (no, no, not what you think... I mean a
PUBLICATION) which will illustrate the xenharmonic direction of the
entirety of Ives work... or at least his theoretical thinking on the
subject.

Frankly, I was rather "blown away" when I first read this material... since
I never really understand why Johnny was so involved with Ives in the first
place. It didn't bother me; I've always loved I've(s).

HOWEVER, it seemed that a little "overtone machine" in the Universe
Symphony did not necessarily justify the inclusion of the Universe Symphony
on a series of xenharmonic music....

BUT, I'm convinced now that Ives really wanted the majority of his work to
be in some kind of "alternate tuning" but felt it was too unconventional,
even for him, and when this book is released (soon) it should make some
impact. There will still need to be some convincing of Ives scholars like
my friend (now newly famous) Jan Swafford...

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Joseph Pehrson