Charles Ives: A Bio-Bibliography (Bio-Bibliographies in Music) [Hardcover]

Geoffrey Block (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0313254044 | ISBN-13: 978-0313254048 | Publication Date: September 27, 1988 | Edition: annotated edition

This comprehensive work reflects the renewed interest and recognition of Charles Ives's music, and it gathers into one volume previously scattered and hard-to-find material by and about the composer. The musical and historical significance of one of America's most famous twentieth-century composers is represented in a substantively annotated, discerning and critical bibliography that includes a foreword by the noted Ives scholar, J. Peter Burkholder. The book begins with an explanation of the scope, organization, and rationale of the material presented and provides an overview and discussion of the current status of Ives scholarship. This is followed by a biographical sketch, a catalog of works and performances, and a complete discography of all recordings in print as of 1985. The bibliography consists of four major sections devoted to collections and catalogs, biographical and aesthetic articles, and reviews and critical evaluations of Ives and his contemporaries; the final section, on Ive's work, is arranged according to the genres of orchestral and band music, chamber music, keyboard music, choral and partsongs, and songs, following John Kirkpatrick's widely used manuscript categorization. The annotations on several hundred books, essays, and reviews offer a historical perspective of the critical reception of Ives's music, tracing its development from obscurity to crusade to fad, to its present secure place in the repertoire. The extensive appendixes and indexes provide, in a conveniently centralized format, lists of materials not found in standard indexes or cited in earlier studies; they make accessible many items that appear in relatively obscure journals or archives. This definitive sourcebook will greatly facilitate further study and inspire new research on one of today's most controversial musical figures. It will be of great interest to musicologists, Ives scholars, and students of twentieth-century American music.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Block has provided a great service to Ives scholars and to general readers interested in learning about the various activities of this remarkable American composer. Block has given annotations to nearly 1,000 articles, reviews, and books about Ives as composer, philosopher, businessman, and author. Additionally, in six appendixes, Block gives the reader (1) an alphabetical list of compositions; (2) premieres, publications, and recordings from 1887 to 1954; (3) Ives's writings; (4) books and collections of essays on Ives; (5) dissertations, theses, and senior essays on Ives; (6) documentary broadcasts, films, and videocassettes on Ives. A short biography and a fine foreword by J. Peter Burkholder add to the significant value of this book. Recommended for all libraries.”–Choice

“Geoffrey Block has enthusiastically put together a book of more than four hundred pages, Charles Ives: A Bio-Bibliography. . . . . . The work has no fewer than 1,169 generously annotated entries plus six appendices and two indexes. (That's enthusiasm!) Block is a bibliographical bear and includes citations not only of the most obscure items but of some not yet even in print, His book . . . is an invaluable guide to the literature on Ives.”–I.S.A.M. Newsletter

About the Author

GEOFFREY BLOCK is an Associate Professor of Music History at the University of Puget Sound.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 437 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press; annotated edition edition (September 27, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313254044
• ISBN-13: 978-0313254048
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,212,978 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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