Ives - 3 Quarter-Tone Pieces, S.128; K. 3C3

Composer: Charles Edward Ives (October 20, 1874 - May 19, 1954)
Work Title: 3 Quarter-Tone Pieces, S.128; K. 3C3
Performers: Alexei Lubimov (piano), Pierre-Laurent Aimard (piano)
0:00 - Preface
0:21 - No.1 - Largo
4:10 - No.2 - Allegro
7:35 - No.3 - Chorale
This work is scored for two pianos tuned a quarter-tone apart, Ives taking his inspiration from a whimsical childhood memory of two matronly sisters who played their Sunday School classes that way. In 1923, Ives sold insurance to the pianist E. Robert Schmitz. Casually learning of Ives' interest in microtonality, Schmitz informed him about a two-manual quarter-tone piano lately designed by another pianist, Hans Barth. Interested, Ives completed the Three Pieces by the end of 1924. Barth and Sigmund Klein premiered the "Chorale" at Chickering Hall on February 8, 1925, along with an explanatory talk given by Schmitz. Ives' own comments, entitled "Some Quarter-tone Impressions," appeared in print a month later. The "Largo" remained unperformed until Barth and another pianist premiered it in the Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel in New York, April 9, 1929. Barth repeated the "Chorale" at his two-manual quarter-tone instrument at Carnegie Hall on February 23, 1930. The whole work was not heard until 1967, when Stuart Lanning and George V. Pappastavarou, the latter editing the work from manuscript, recorded the Three Pieces for CBS.
Of the three pieces, the opening "Largo" is the most enigmatic, and the overall mood is darkly mystical. At one point, a slowly syncopated figure gains speed and volume and is followed by fortissimo glissandi. As the overtones of the glissandi resonate in the air, Ives introduces some quiet, tentative quarter-tone chords in the middle register of the piano, resulting in a three-dimensional texture. Unlike many of Ives' works, this piece doesn't seem to contain a single reference to previously composed music.
The "Allegro" is an Ivesian "comedy" which opens with a couple of his trademark dissonant chords and launches into some jaunty ragtime figures. About this piece, Ives felt that "from a pure quarter-tone harmonic standpoint it doesn't amount to much," but as a jazzy and clangorous romp it's a delight. Ives seems to take particular pleasure in having the two pianists exchange quick, chromatically rising and falling chord sequences and "out-of-tune" arpeggios. A figure from his 1911 song "The Se'er" appears and is battered around a bit.
The "Chorale" is the longest of the three and the most "conventional"; it is the only one of the group that appears to have a previous history. In 1909, Ives sketched a Chorale for quarter-tone string ensemble that provided his model. While only a scrap of the original survives, Ives left indications in the margins of his manuscript as to how the piano piece could be re-scored for strings. Composer Alan Stout undertook this challenge and the results first appeared in print in 1974. "My Country 'tis of Thee" is heard near the end of the middle section, and outside of a brief buildup in the low register, this piece is hymn-like and peaceful throughout. It provides a serene close to the world of Ives' keyboard output.
Source: www.allmusic.com/composition/...
Source videos:
No.1: • Charles Ives - Three Q...
No.2: • Charles Ives - Three Q...
No.3: • Charles Ives - Three Q...

[@PentameronSV]

0:00 - Preface
0:21 - No.1 - Largo
4:10 - No.2 - Allegro
7:35 - No.3 - Chorale

[@user-lr5og2ix9g]

The pianists are great! Great cooperation, voicing. There should be much fun to play this piece!

[@ilovebuckwheat]

I love these pieces so much. They are oddly charming; haunting but beautiful at the same time.

[@Shofinpiano]

"Piano Ⅰ to be tuned 1/4 tone higher" this sentence is history.

[@steveegallo3384]

Amazing 'Chorale'....."Enigmatic"? Sure.......BRAVO from Acapulco!

[@musicloverchicago437]

I find this fascinating. Parts of it are actually beautiful, not sure if I could find the entire work beautiful though. I'm going to give it a chance. (You have a lot of interesting works on your RUclips channel btw, I'm checking them all out.)