Born on October 20, 1874, the American Modernist composer, Charles E. Ives, became one of the first American composers of international renown before his death on May 19, 1954.  His work combines American popular and church music traditions of his youth with European art music.  He was among the first composers to engage in a program of experimental music that incorporated elements of polytonality, polyrhythm, tone clusters, aleatory elements and quarter tones.   Ives’ derived his tonal imagery from hymn tunes, traditional songs, sentimental parlor ballads and even the melodies of Stephen Foster.

Ives’ Second Symphony was composed between 1897 through 1902.  The piece consists of five movements and is approximately 40 minutes long depending on which recording is heard. Oddly enough, though written in Ives’ 20s, the piece was never performed in public until 50 years later when the New York Philharmonic concert conducted by Leonard Bernstein.  The American classical establishment had been extremely disapproving of his desire to push European classical structures to recreate the New England soundscapes he had experienced in his youth.

While making no direct quotes from the pieces, if you listen closely you will hear allusions to Camptown Races, Long, Long Ago, Turkey In the Straw and America the Beautiful.  There is an exception in the 5th movement however, where an entire verse of Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean is repeated complete and almost entirely unaltered.  It does so as a counterpoint to Ives’ first theme which is his own original music.  There are also references to several of the European classics from multiple composers that are meant to be a reverential nod to the rich inheritance from such works that he had meant to be honoring more than simple mimicry.

Perhaps it is no surprise that a huge fan of artists like Keith Emerson might find a  classical composer who uses quotes among his compositions at least a little interesting?  Aloha Promises Forever rates this a seven out of a possible 10.