Notes and Editorial Reviews
Music by Charles Ives arranged for band! That's an idea so good that you just know it will work. The American wind band was part of Ives' native musical world, and its accent pervades his musical language. So what would sound more natural than a full program (74 minutes) of 21 Ives pieces arranged for the modern version of the American wind (or "military") band? Happily, all expectations are not only met but exceeded by this Naxos release. Most of the arrangements are by either by Jonathan Elkus (Director of Bands, Emeritus at U.C., Davis) or James B. Sinclair (respected Ives scholar). Elkus himself believes that the role of an arrangement of another's music is to "fulfill or exceed
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on its own terms the musical values of its source." In fact, all of the arrangers here are better orchestrators than Ives, so many of the later, more complex works emerge with unexpected clarity.
The President's Own United States Marine Band may have been the first "name" ensemble outside Connecticut to play Ives' music, since Ives' March Intercollegiate (included on this disc) probably was on its program at the first William McKinley Inaugural ceremony in 1897. I can do little more than confirm what you would expect: The playing exemplifies the best in professional band musicianship. The leadership by Col. Timothy W. Foley is absolutely right for all of this music. The notes credit an all-Marine production and engineering crew, so (no surprise) the sound is "Always Faithful".
The program is intelligently chosen to illuminate particular aspects of Ives' musical personality. Especially valuable are the earlier marches, songs, and dances. These give a sense of getting to know the scrappy, athletic teen- and college-aged Ives rather than the frail graybeard usually pictured. But coming at just the right moments, in what otherwise is a stream of short pieces, are exquisite transcriptions of the Variations on "America", Fugue in C, Decoration Day, and The Alcotts. Also worth mentioning are the liner notes. Written by Elkis, they are full, detailed, scholarly, and informative, something rarely achieved these days by the major labels. Wonderful!
--Joseph Stevenson, ClassicsToday.com
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Works on This Recording
1.
Variations for Organ on "America" by Charles Ives
Conductor:
Timothy Foley
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Marine Band
Period: 20th Century
Written: ?1891; USA
Venue: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College,
Length: 6 Minutes 25 Secs.
Notes: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College, Alexandria, Va. (06/02/2003 - 06/06/2003)
2.
Overture and March "1776" by Charles Ives
Conductor:
Timothy Foley
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Marine Band
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1903-1904; USA
Venue: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College,
Length: 2 Minutes 56 Secs.
Notes: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College, Alexandria, Va. (06/02/2003 - 06/06/2003)
3.
March no 3, with "Omega Lambda Chi" by Charles Ives
Conductor:
Timothy Foley
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Marine Band
Period: 20th Century
Written: USA
Venue: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College,
Length: 3 Minutes 3 Secs.
Notes: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College, Alexandria, Va. (06/02/2003 - 06/06/2003)
Composition written: USA (Circa 1895 - Circa 1896).
4.
Postlude for Orchestra in F major by Charles Ives
Conductor:
Timothy Foley
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Marine Band
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1895; USA
Length: 4 Minutes 26 Secs.
Notes: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College, Alexandria, Va. (06/02/2003 - 06/06/2003)
5.
Country Band March by Charles Ives
Conductor:
Timothy Foley
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Marine Band
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1903; USA
Length: 4 Minutes 22 Secs.
Notes: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College, Alexandria, Va. (06/02/2003 - 06/06/2003)
6.
Holidays: Decoration Day by Charles Ives
Conductor:
Timothy Foley
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Marine Band
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1912; USA
Length: 8 Minutes 17 Secs.
Notes: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College, Alexandria, Va. (06/02/2003 - 06/06/2003)
7.
Charlie Rutlage by Charles Ives
Conductor:
Timothy Foley
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Marine Band
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1920-1921; USA
Length: 2 Minutes 30 Secs.
Notes: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College, Alexandria, Va. (06/02/2003 - 06/06/2003)
8.
March no 6, with "Here's to Good Old Yale" by Charles Ives
Conductor:
Timothy Foley
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Marine Band
Period: 20th Century
Written: USA
Length: 2 Minutes 52 Secs.
Notes: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College, Alexandria, Va. (06/02/2003 - 06/06/2003)
9.
Sonata for Piano no 2 "Concord, Mass 1840-60": 3rd movement "The Alcotts" by Charles Ives
Conductor:
Timothy Foley
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Marine Band
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1912-1914; USA
Length: 5 Minutes 50 Secs.
Notes: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College, Alexandria, Va. (06/02/2003 - 06/06/2003)
10.
They are there! by Charles Ives
Conductor:
Timothy Foley
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Marine Band
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1942; USA
Venue: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College,
Length: 2 Minutes 28 Secs.
Notes: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College, Alexandria, Va. (06/02/2003 - 06/06/2003)
11.
Old Home Day by Charles Ives
Conductor:
Timothy Foley
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Marine Band
Period: 20th Century
Written: ?1913; USA
Venue: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College,
Length: 7 Minutes 19 Secs.
Notes: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College, Alexandria, Va. (06/02/2003 - 06/06/2003)
12.
March "Intercollegiate" by Charles Ives
Conductor:
Timothy Foley
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Marine Band
Period: 20th Century
Venue: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College,
Length: 3 Minutes 30 Secs.
Notes: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College, Alexandria, Va. (06/02/2003 - 06/06/2003)
13.
Fugue in C major by Charles Ives
Conductor:
Timothy Foley
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Marine Band
Period: 20th Century
Venue: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College,
Length: 6 Minutes 32 Secs.
Notes: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College, Alexandria, Va. (06/02/2003 - 06/06/2003)
14.
Variation on " Jerusalem the Golden" by Charles Ives
Conductor:
Timothy Foley
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Marine Band
Period: 20th Century
Venue: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College,
Length: 4 Minutes 12 Secs.
Notes: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College, Alexandria, Va. (06/02/2003 - 06/06/2003)
15.
March no 2, with "Son of a Gambolier" by Charles Ives
Conductor:
Timothy Foley
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Marine Band
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1895; USA
Venue: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College,
Length: 3 Minutes 49 Secs.
Notes: Concert Hall, N. Va. Community College, Alexandria, Va. (06/02/2003 - 06/06/2003)
16.
The Circus Band by Charles Ives
Conductor:
Timothy Foley
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Marine Band
Period: 20th Century
Written: ?1894; USA
Length: 2 Minutes 43 Secs.
17.
Runaway Horse on Main Street by Charles Ives
Conductor:
Timothy Foley
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Marine Band
Period: 20th Century
Length: 1 Minutes 16 Secs.
Sound Samples
Variations on America (arr. for winds orchestra): Variations on America
Old Home Days Suite (arr. Elkus): I. Waltz
Old Home Days Suite (arr. Elkus): II. The Opera House. III. Old Home Day
Old Home Days Suite (arr. Elkus): IV. The Collection
Old Home Days Suite (arr. Elkus): V. Slow March
Old Home Days Suite (arr. Elkus): VI. Burlesque Harmonization of London Bridge, "London Bridge Is Fallen Down"
March Intercollegiate with Annie Lisle
Fugue in C minor (arr. of String Quartet No. 1, "From the Salvation Army": I. Chorale)
March in F major and C major with Omega Lambda Chi
Variations on Jerusalem the Golden, "Fantasia on Jerusalem the Golden"
A Son of a Gambolier, March
Postlude in F major (arr. for wind band): Postlude in F major
A Symphony - New England Holidays (Holidays Symphony): II. Decoration Day
The Other Side of Pioneering: III. Charlie Rutlage
Runaway Horse on Main Street
March No. 6 with Here's to Good Old Yale
Piano Sonata No. 2, "Concord, Mass., 1840-60" (arr. for wind ensemble): Piano Sonata No. 2, "Concord, Mass., 1840-60": III. The Alcotts
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