Concord: A Blog On Charles Ives’ Second Piano Sonata

About the Sonata

     American composer Charles Ives originally published this piece, his second piano sonata, in
1920. It was then revised into a second edition, published in 1947. In his Essays Before A
Sonata, Ives describes the piece as an "impression of the spirit of transcendentalism that is
associated in the minds of many with Concord, Mass., of over half a century ago [1840-1860]" -
hence the nickname "Concord" Sonata. Each movement is titled after a literary author: the
Essays list "impressionistic pictures of Emerson and Thoreau, a sketch of the Alcotts, and a
Scherzo supposed to reflect a lighter quality which is often found in the fantastic side of
Hawthorne." Head over to the blog posts for a walk-through of each section, and check out the
themes and quotes page for recurring musical ideas.

This blog was started as a recital preparation project in the long journey of learning the
"Concord" Sonata. 
Every day before upcoming performances, I will post new blog posts and practice videos to
unpack this massive work! I have also included a basic glossary of themes and musical quotes
used, according to various sources. Each page also has brief descriptions of the movement to
act as program notes. Since there is so much background to this complex piece, and because it
was never meant to be straightforward but to reward multiple listens, my goal is to provide
enough information for audience members to feel engaged and familiarized.
Hopefully this will provide some insight for those unfamiliar with the "Concord" Sonata, and
hopefully it will make sense of my interpretive choices.
I'll start with the longest movement - "Hawthorne" blog entries will be posted starting
October 26!

About Me
     My name is Molly Sanford, and I am a pianist at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
pursuing a master's degree. I have been working on Charles Ives' "Concord" Sonata since
October 2019, studying with Professor Michael Chertock. For my full bio and upcoming
performances, check out my website.

Posts
“Emerson” (Movement 1)
     Ives considered Ralph Waldo Emerson to be "America's deepest explorer of the spiritual
immensities," and his Essays Before A Sonata writings on this movement overall represent this
outlook, calling for "Transcendental Journey," "reflecting the overtones of the soul of
humanity," and playing "as though the Mountains of the Universe were shouting as all of
Humanity rises to behold the 'Massive Eternities.'" Ives writes that the movement’s sections
vary between reflections of poetry and prose, and that the tempo may vary as the performer
feels. 
     The "Emerson" movement aligns loosely with features of sonata form, in that it is built
around recurring themes that are developed and returning. However, themes are layered and
fragmented in incredibly complex ways so that they both lead the movement forward and
prevent the listener from recognizing them completely during the first listen. Almost every
theme is included on the first page before Ives breaks down the material over 18 pages
following. The "Human Faith" theme is present throughout although it will not be heard in full
until "The Alcotts," and up to six additional themes have been identified by Ives scholars (see
Other Resources by Kyle Gann and James Peter Burkholder). Other main themes are a
declamatory predominating motif that has been labeled after the movement, a slow and quiet
"second theme" (alluding to traditional sonata form), and a descending lyrical theme that Ives
said may reflect poetry rather than prose. The “Beethoven's 5th" motif is interwoven
frequently; Ives describes these four notes in the Essays as "the relentlessness of fate knocking
at the door," representing divine mysteries and human destiny.

“Hawthorne” (Movement 2)
     This is described as a scherzo movement named after Nathaniel Hawthorne. Ives explains
some of the literary inspirations in a memo about the "Concord" Sonata: 
"The ‘Magical Frost Waves’ on the Berkshire dawn window - to me the Hawthorne
movement starts with that, first on the morning window pane, then on the meadow…
then a boy lands on the stoop… and then he gets riding on the railroad - perhaps (but
not every day) on the Celestial Railroad - then he jumps over the wall with Feathertop…
then all of a sudden he is in the old churchyard- he hears the solemn old hymn, the
distant bells - his old ghost friend greets him - he feels suddenly reverent in an honest
boylike way…. And then he gets hit and jumps back on the railroad train again and is off
- he forgets the dead and dances on the Demon’s pipe bowl… with that rollicking
scarecrow, so solemn..."
These ideas come together, sometimes very suddenly, in this whirlwind journey of a piece. You
will also hear interruptions from other American tunes along the way. Rather than utilizing
motivic construction like in "Emerson," this movement is built on characterized episodes.
     The first pianist to publicly perform this piece, John Kirkpatrick, labeled the apparent
sections of this movement as "phantasmagoria - nocturne - ragtime - contrasts - ragtime -
nocturne - phantasmagoria" (from the preface to Ives' Symphony No. 4 in 1965).  I find these to
be very clear sectional markers, and have broken the movement into parts in the same way.
     In preparation for my first master's recital on November 23rd, 2020, I decided to start blog
posts on the longest movement as it can seem like the most disparate and complicated.

Section-By-Section Breakdown
Part 1
Pages 21-24 | 10/26/2020
This opening launches the movement fairly quickly and establishes the busy scherzo writing.
The tempo is marked "Very fast," but considering the very rhythmic writing to come (including a
march section and ragtime-esque passages) I want to start with as much of a consistent pulse
as possible. It expands in register from the "frost waves" that Ives describes until the motoric
"railroad" takes over. The opening run is notated in sixteenth notes, and the immediate repeats
begin in thirty-second notes, so the first measure cannot be excessively fast (although Ives
writes to not take this completely literally). Note values get smaller until there are groups of 9
in the left hand. After a page of this gaining momentum, a 2/4 feel is finally established; by the
time there is a clear rhythm in sixteenth notes, I want the tempo to be steady and even, with
energy and drive.
I have heard other performers vary the tempo and include a fair amount of ebb and flow as
the writing moves around registers and introduces new material, but I personally find that
keeping a mostly regular beat can create more of a consistent establishing section. It also aligns
with the motoric train idea suggested by the "Celestial Railroad" inspiration. The pulse is held
for the most part until the "Human Faith" melody launches us into new material to finish out
this section. Professor Chertock compared it to one of my favorite parts of "The Battle of Hoth"
from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back where two pianos enter: listen here!
This is the last page of momentous, rhythmic material before Ives slows down for the first
time in this movement.
Important features: the "Human Faith" theme appears twice; rhythmic pulse is established;
the first section of the piece is concluded with a transition to slow and quiet material
Challenges of this section: bringing out the themes, specifically while crossing over the left
hand; keeping a consistent and clear pulse; clarity of notes while at a triple forte dynamic level
and high speed
Part 1 Video

Part 2
Pages 25-26 | 10/28/2020
     In the first "nocturne" section, Ives creates a sharp contrast from the opening material. This
is some of the most consonant and reflective material in the Sonata so far. Interesting tone
color is introduced by using a wooden board to play cluster chords in the high register, while
the left hand finally has a sustained melody without perpetual rhythm. The board technique
gained attention from critics at the time of publication and is certainly surprising. Personally,
when I asked my dad if he had a piece of wood in his workshop for me to use in a piano piece,
he was skeptical of the type of piece he'd have to sit through later. When I showed him this
section, he was pleasantly surprised.
     The passage gains momentum and drama towards the end as the clusters move out of the
ethereal high register. Once the left hand crescendos back to forte, loud and decidedly not
ethereal chords interrupt. Ives says these should be considered as arpeggios between the
hands rather than between the fingers, so I play the first two groups of chords as two blocks,
like double stops would sound. Upon getting to the third chord, which is marked as rolled, the
arpeggiation creates contrast. This louder material will transition into the next fortissimo
section.
Important features: This section calls for "a strip of board 14 3/4 inches long and heavy
enough to press the keys down without striking" to play the upper cluster chords; even though
Ives designates the movement to be played "as fast as possible" for the most part, he writes
"slowly" here, fitting for John Kirkpatrick's "nocturne" label.
Challenges of this section: Getting an even, quiet sound with the board; carrying the melody
and harmony with the left hand
Part 2 Video

“The Alcotts” (Movement 3)

     The shortest, most intimate movement is more about life at the Alcott's Orchard House than
about Louisa May or Bronson Alcott individually. In Ives' words, "we won't try to reconcile the
music sketch of the Alcotts with much besides the memory of that home under the elms - the
Scotch songs and the family hymns that were sung at the end of each day - though there may
be an attempt to catch something of that common sentiment... a strength of hope that never
gives way to despair - a conviction in the power of the common soul" (from Essays Before A
Sonata). This common sentiment is his reference to the "Human Faith" theme.
     This movement builds upon hymns and presents the "Human Faith" melody in full for the
first time, now incorporating the “Beethoven's 5th” motif. The "Human Faith" material is
interrupted by a B section that eventually grows into a climactic return to the theme. This
movement is the most traditionally tonal of the four, as it is meant to evoke a "little old spinet-
piano... on which Beth played the old Scotch airs, and played at the Fifth Symphony" (from the
Essays). It is the only movement to begin and end on major chords, with only brief departures
from major tonalities.

“Thoreau” (Movement 4)
     The Sonata finishes with a slow and pondering impressionistic piece. It expresses images of
nature, as expected when discussing Henry David Thoreau, but the keyword Ives emphasizes in
the Essays is "restlessness." This movement begins with arpeggiations characterizing the mists
rising over Walden pond: Ives states, "and if there shall be a program let it follow [a] thought on
an autumn day of an Indian summer at Walden - a shadow of a thought at first, colored by the
mist and haze over the pond." Moments of clear major tonality interrupt, when "as the mists
rise, there comes a clearer thought more traditional than the first, a meditation more calm."
Ives comes back to this musical thought several times, before it accelerates and crescendos into
a moment of C major (the key in which "The Alcotts" ended). 
     The second half of this movement initially revolves around a bass ostinato and a slow
statement of "Down In The Cornfield;" according to Ives’ footnotes in the Sonata, sometimes
"an old Elm Tree may feel like humming a phrase from 'Down in the Corn Field,' but usually very
slowly." This is clearly heard, but the melody is distorted and quiet. As the music wanders from
that material, there are hints of the "Human Faith" theme. This leads us into a passage of
crescendos continually restarting as the movement approaches an eventual fortissimo; the
consistent restarting or reintroduction of phrases follows programmatic implications of being
lost in thought before eventually reaching a point. Eventually, the music suddenly drops back
down to a piano dynamic level, and the "Human Faith" theme gets a full statement; here, there
is an optional flute part with the note that "Thoreau much prefers to hear the flute over
Walden." After this decrescendos and ends, the ostinato and the rising mist from earlier in the
movement finish the work and fade away.

Themes & Quotes

     This is a brief, simplified guide to what I consider the most important and prominent themes
or quoted materials. Ives quoted common American tunes so frequently that others can be
implied, especially as said quotes almost always appear fragmented or distorted. For more
extensive analyses, please consult Other Resources. 

Main Themes
These run through the Sonata, connecting the four movements together and incorporating
the Transcendentalist themes they represent.

"Human Faith" theme: Labeled by Ives on page 54 of the Essays Before A Sonata (1920): "All
around you, under the Concord sky, there still floats the influence of that human faith melody,
transcendent and sentimental enough for the enthusiast or the cynic respectively, reflecting an
innate hope - a common interest in common things and common men - a tune the Concord
bards are ever playing, while they pound away at the immensities with a Beethovenlike
sublimity." The complete version of this theme includes the “Beethoven’s 5th” motif in the
second half.
“Beethoven’s 5th" motif: Quote of the opening four notes to Beethoven's 5th Symphony, and
included in the Human Faith theme (this is one of two quotes that Ives directly acknowledged).
In the Essays before "Emerson," Ives explains his perception of this motif: "There is an 'oracle'
at the beginning of the Fifth Symphony - in those four notes lies one of Beethoven's greatest
messages. We would place its translation above the relentlessness of fate knocking at the door,
above the greater human-message of destiny, and strive to bring it towards the spiritual
message of Emerson's revelations - even to the "common heart" of Concord - the Soul of
humanity knocking at the door of the Divine mysteries, radiant in the faith that it will be
opened - and that the human will become the Divine!"

“Emerson” Themes
These are only found in the first movement. They will be added alongside the blog analysis
posts.

Video Links to Alluded Materials

Melodies used throughout movements 2-4

“Martyn” Hymn: Often cited for having a similar contour to the Human Faith theme, and used
in the hymn sections of "Hawthorne"

"Country Band March" by Charles Ives: A depiction of an amateur town band written by Ives,
used in "Hawthorne" as in interruption to the scene

"Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" (American patriotic song): Melody used at the end of
"Hawthorne"

"Ye Christian Heralds, Go Proclaim (Missionary Chant)" Hymn: Alluded to in the "The Alcotts,"
most directly in the opening

"Wedding March" (Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin by Richard Wagner): Hinted very softly in the
B section of "The Alcotts"

"Down In The Cornfield" - phrase starting at 0:47 from the chorus of "Massa's in de Cold, Cold
Ground" (minstrel song by Stephen Foster): This is the other of two musical quotes that Ives
directly acknowledged. In the notes to "Thoreau," he describes that sometimes "an old Elm
Tree may feel like humming a phrase from 'Down in the Corn Field,' but usually very slowly."
(Contains outdated racial language)
Videos

Other Resources
Ives: Concord Sonata (Geoffrey Block)
Cambridge University Press, 2008 - Link to Amazon entry
Block's impressive chapter on borrowing in the Sonata was a great help and inspiration to
me. His chapter on themes should be consulted by anyone wishing to track their appearances
further.

“Ives's Celestial Railroad and His Fourth Symphony” (Thomas M. Brodhead)

In American Music Vol. 12, No. 4, University of Illinois Press, 1994
The appendix of this article (about other works that share material with the "Hawthorne"
movement) includes all of the information we have about a program for "Hawthorne." It is
especially useful to consult for a memo by Ives about the movement where he outlines a linear
storyline following elements of "The Celestial Railroad" by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

All Made Of Tunes: Charles Ives And The Uses Of Musical Borrowing (James Peter Burkholder)
Yale University Press, 1995 - Link to Google Books entry
This is a useful thematic and quotational outline for the melodies present in the "Concord"
Sonata.

Charles Ives's Concord: Essay After A Sonata (Kyle Gann)

University of Illinois Press, 2017 - Link to Google Books entry
This is an invaluable resource in exploring this sonata. Gann tackles the musical material
alongside the essays and the history surrounding this work. He also creates a resource for
performers by examining the two editions and existing recordings.

Essays Before A Sonata (Charles Ives)

Knickerbocker Press, 1920
This was published alongside the first version of the "Concord" Sonata. Ives writes, "these
prefatory essays were written by the composer for those who can't stand his music -- and the
music for those who can't stand his essays; to those who can't stand either, the whole is
respectfully dedicated."