Charles Ives’ two string quartets represent
two sides of a musical coin. The first, “From the Salvation
Army”, composed in 1896, while he was a sophomore at Yale, seems
almost demure compared to much of Ives’ other music. Like his
first symphony, which he later shrugged off as a work of youth,
it is relatively accessible, featuring little dissonance, yet
including quotes on a number of well-known hymns, something
Ives would continue to do all his life; as well as the familiar
opening motive from Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony which Ives often
used in his work. While the development and exposition of themes
are not revolutionary, the music manages to remain just on the
fence between romanticism and modernity.
The second quartet is another kettle of
fish altogether. In three movements, “Discussions”, “Arguments”,
and “The Call of the Mountain”, it opens with an eerie chromatic
phrase that develops into a hymn-like motif, before decaying
again into chromaticism. Here is Ives’ true musical form: challenging
the listener at every step, provoking and surprising. While
the first movement is somewhat sedate, the second music is harsh
and dissonant, and merits the name “Arguments”. This relatively
brief movement - less than 5 minutes compared to the framing
movements’ duration of over ten minutes each - is concentrated
and powerful, and the third movement returns to the tone of
the first, with “a tranquility that suggests the arguing foursome
have forgotten their differences as they contemplate the eternal
from a spot in the mountains.” (From the liner notes by Jim
Lovensheimer.) This reminds me of John Cage’s anecdote about
something D. T. Suzuki said about studying Zen. "Before
studying Zen, men are men and mountains are mountains. While
studying Zen, things become confused. After studying Zen, men
are men and mountains are mountains." Dr. Suzuki was asked
what the difference is between before and after. "No difference,”
he replied, “only the feet are a little bit off the ground.”
Finally, this disc contains a brief scherzo
for string quartet composed around 1907-1914. This raucous work
features many quotes from musics of all kinds, and is typical
of Ives’ music of this period, collaging hymns such as Bringing
In the Sheaves, Stephen Foster songs and other popular music.
The performers attack this music with zeal
and energy, and with exemplary balance between their instruments.
However, the recording sounds odd, at once distant and reverberated,
with not quite enough separation among the various instruments.
The combination of the good balance and the lackluster sound
gives the impression of a single group rather than the interplay
of four instruments. Comparing this recording with that by the
Emerson Quartet shows that the latter group has the upper hand
by a landslide: not only is their performance tighter, but the
sound is nearly ideal. On the Emerson recording, each instrument
stands out, the stereo separation is perfect and the overall
sound excellent. The Emerson’s performance, too, is a step up
from that of the Blairs, though the vibrato used by the Emerson’s
violinist detracts a bit from the intensity of the final movement
of the Second Quartet. However, I find that the sound of the
Emerson recording helps give the music a little more drama —
especially, again, in the second quartet and the brilliant final
section of the third movement.
Nonetheless, in spite of the sound, this
is a fine recording, and its budget price means that it is an
excellent introduction to Ives for those unfamiliar with his
work. Ives fans will certainly want to snatch this up for another
reading of these works that are not recorded often enough.
Kirk McElhearn
see also Review
by Dominy Clements
