10 Facts about Charles Ives

Thursday, November 19th 2015. | Music


Facts about Charles Ives tell you about the American modernist composer. He was born on 20 October 1874 as Charles Edward Ives. He died on 19 May 1954. This composer is internationally famous. When he was still alive, many people abandoned his music. For many years, there were many works of Ives unperformed. Check other facts about Ives below:

Facts about Charles Ives 1: the American original

Ives was called as the American original due to his combination of church music and American popular music along with the European art music.

Facts about Charles Ives 2: the musical techniques

There were various musical techniques that Ives made. They included quarter tones, aleatoric elements, tone clusters, polyrhythm and polytonality.

Charles Ives Facts

Charles Ives Facts

Facts about Charles Ives 3: the tonal imagery

The tonal imagery of Charles Ives was taken from various sources such as traditional sings, hymn tunes, patriotic songs, melodies of Stephen foster, town band performed at the holiday parades and sentimental parlor ballads.

Facts about Charles Ives 4: the date and place of birth

Ives was born in 1874 in Danbury, Connecticut. His father worked as an Army band leader in United States during the civil war. He was George Ives. His mother was Mary Parmelee.

Charles Ives Image

Charles Ives Image

Facts about Charles Ives 5: the early influence

It seems that Ives was interested with music because he was influenced by his father’s performance. He often sat and listened to his father’s marching band.

Facts about Charles Ives 6: a church organist

When Ives was only 14 years old, he was appointed as a church organist. During the church services, he wrote songs and hymns.

Facts about Charles Ives

Facts about Charles Ives

Facts about Charles Ives 7: the education

Ives studied Hopkins School after he lived in New Haven. In the school, he was appointed as the captain for the baseball team. Then he was enrolled to Yale University in September 1894.  His mentor was Horatio Parker. Do you know that Ives created a campaign song for William McKinley in 1896? Find facts about Celia Cruz here.

Facts about Charles Ives 8: an important figure

Ives was considered as prominent figure while he was studying at Yale. He became a chairman for the Ivy Committee, and a member of HeBoule.

Charles Ives Pic

Charles Ives Pic

Facts about Charles Ives 9: the jobs after graduation

After he graduated from Yale, Ives worked Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York. Get facts about Celine Dion here.

Facts about Charles Ives 10: the works of Ives

Some works of Ives include Central Park in the Dark for chamber orchestra (1906, 1909), String Quartet No. 1, From the Salvation Army (1897–1900), Emerson Concerto (1919–1913), Piano Trio and many more.

Charles Ives

Charles Ives

Do you like reading facts about Charles Ives?


tags: ,