Baseball and the Music of Charles Ives: A Proving Ground

by Timothy A. Johnson

Overview

Through intelligent discussion of Ives's musical compositions combined with solid research on the composer's lifelong love of the American pastime, Ives's pioneering spirit and unique creativity are highlighted most clearly in this fascinating work.

After a useful review of the development of baseball in Ives's time coupled with a succinct biography, Johnson examines the heavy influence of the game and some of its players on Ives's development as a composer. The observations made here are fresh and insightful, and are further elucidated by musical examples and photographs of pertinent ball players and venues.

Music professionals, baseball historians, and baseball scholars will all find this a fascinating and useful resource.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780810849990
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	07/15/2004
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 6.06(h) x 0.53(d)

About the Author

Timothy Johnson teaches music theory at Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Musical Examples and Illustrations Chapter 2 Preface Chapter 3 Introduction Chapter 4 An American Sport—An American Composer Chapter 5 Constant Change—The Growth of Major League Baseball Chapter 6 A Life of Baseball—A"Manly" Game Chapter 7 Playing the Game—Baseball in Completed Compositions Chapter 8 Musical Sketches of Ballplayers—A Baseball Fan's Record Chapter 9 Baseball Techniques—From Sketch to Compositional Language Chapter 10 Notes Chapter 11 Bibliography Chapter 12 Index Chapter 13 About the Author

Editorial Reviews

This study delineates how the art and sport of baseball affected Ives and presents analytical and contextual treatments of his musical compositions pertaining to baseball.

Reference and Research Book News

No one before Timothy Johnson has attempted to examine the relationship of Ives's interest in baseball to his music. The topic is very innovative, the approach fruitful, and the findings illuminating both about Ives as a person and about his music.

J. Peter Burkholder

Johnson's style is direct and readable without being esoteric, even when discussing some of the weightier elements of music theory....Inasmuch as Johnson's stated intent is to show Ives' love of baseball as a 'proving ground' for later developments in his musical evolution, it would be a fair assessment to say that he achieves this goal well.

Aethlon: Journal of Sports Literature

Johnson's style is direct and readable without being esoteric, even when discussing some of the weightier elements of music theory....Inasmuch as Johnson's stated intent is to show Ives' love of baseball as a 'proving ground' for later developments in his musical evolution, it would be a fair assessment to say that he achieves this goal well.

Aethlon: Journal of Sports Literature

Johnson's style is direct and readable without being esoteric, even when discussing some of the weightier elements of music theory....Inasmuch as Johnson's stated intent is to show Ives' love of baseball as a 'proving ground' for later developments in his musical evolution, it would be a fair assessment to say that he achieves this goal well.

Aethlon