Skip to main content

Charles Ives - Central Park in The Dark

 

Author: Julia Ranft

B.A. American Studies (HF), English Studies (NF)

Email: s0173273@stud.uni-frankfurt.de

Matrikelnummer: 7485864

The Future of (American) Music

Prof. Dr. Bernd Herzogenrath

Listening Report 9

Charles Ives - Central Park in The Dark

            Charles Ives's "Central Park in The Dark" is a stunning musical composition that captures the bustling energy and nighttime ambiance of New York City's famous Central Park. Written in 1906, the piece is a brilliant example of Ives's unique style, which blends traditional classical music with experimental and avant-garde techniques.

            At its core, "Central Park in The Dark" is a tone poem that seeks to evoke the atmosphere and soundscape of Central Park after dark. The piece begins with a series of shimmering strings and woodwinds that gradually build in intensity, conjuring the image of the park at twilight. As the music progresses, the listener can hear the sounds of crickets chirping, distant car horns honking, and the rustling of leaves in the trees.

            One of the most striking features of "Central Park in The Dark" is the way that Ives incorporates multiple musical themes and motifs throughout the piece. Rather than sticking to a single melody or idea, the composition weaves together several different musical ideas that intermingle and overlap, creating a sense of movement and dynamism. For example, one of the most recognizable motifs in the piece is a repeating three-note pattern that appears throughout the music, representing the sound of a horse-drawn carriage clip-clopping through the park.

            Despite its experimental nature, "Central Park in The Dark" is a highly accessible and enjoyable piece of music. While it may take some time for listeners to adjust to Ives's unconventional approach to composition, the music is undeniably beautiful and captivating, with a sense of joy and wonder that captures the magic of Central Park at night.

            In many ways, "Central Park in The Dark" is a microcosm of Ives's larger musical philosophy. As a composer, Ives was deeply interested in exploring the boundaries of what was possible within classical music, pushing the boundaries of convention and tradition to create something new and exciting. In this sense, "Central Park in The Dark" represents the perfect embodiment of Ives's creative spirit, blending the familiar with the innovative to produce a musical experience unlike any other.

            In conclusion, Charles Ives's "Central Park in The Dark" is a masterpiece of musical composition that captures the vibrancy and energy of one of New York City's most iconic locations. With its blend of traditional and avant-garde techniques, the piece is a testament to Ives's creative genius, and remains a beloved and enduring work of classical music to this day.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Listening Report on John Oswald: Plexure

 Sarah Kumar Dr. Bernd Herzogenrath The Future of (American) Music 06 Mar. 2023 Listening Report on John Oswald: Plexure According to John Oswald, “[a] plunderphone is a recognizable sonic quote, using the actual sound of something familiar which has already been recorded” (Lecture Slides 18). However, only if the source stays recognizable can it be called plunderphonics. In his album Plexure , several songs are played back and mixed together, thus creating a new sound. This is interesting because while the excerpts of songs that are used are recognizable or at least sound familiar to some degree, played backwards and mashed up as they are in Plexure , they create a new sound. Like on the cover of the album, on which a collage making up a man can be seen, the mixing of different songs played backwards gives a new feeling to something known. The way the songs are mixed makes them unintelligible. The meaning of the words of the original recordings are not able to be compr...

John Cage – Inlets

  This does not sound like music to me. Depending on the interpretation of different players or performers, this piece will always sound different. In this case, it sounds to me like someone is walking through a cave with water at the bottom, dragging their feet through it. Sometimes it sounds like water in a toilet bowl, especially when we hear the water in a bigger shell being swished around. These sounds are relaxing in the background, it is like a gentle stream of water. I just wonder what went through the head of the composer while writing this piece. But I guess he had some experimental ideas that are interesting to try out. Those shells are quite pretty, I have never seen such big ones that are not broken. I was surprised when something else happened towards the end of the piece. That tone which came out of the one shell was so clear, it sounded like a trumpet. I didn’t know that shells can sound like that. It was quite beautiful. It was a nice way to end the piece. I di...

William Basinski – The Disintegration Loops III

  The Disintegration Loops is a quartet of albums published in 2002 and 2003 by American avant-garde composer William Basinski. The pieces are made up of tape loop recordings that were played over time, with noise and crackles rising as the tape deteriorated. Basinski noticed this effect when attempting to convert his older recordings to digital format. The completion of the recordings coincided with the September 11, 2001 events, which Basinski witnessed and adds a deeper meaning to the composition. The composition is fascinating in many ways and makes the listener lose track of time. The tape loop recording had a very calming effect on me and put me in a trance-like state when I listened to it in its entirety. The tape loop is really soothing, so much so that I didn't even notice the loss of quality when I first listened to it. It makes you forget about time and allows you to really get into the piece capturing the calmness it exudes. You forget or don't really notice how i...