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Charles Ives

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Composer

The Resume

    (October 20, 1874-May 19, 1954)
    Born in Danbury, Connecticut
    Composer and organist
    Composed four symphonies
    Other compositions include ‘Central Park in the Dark,’ ‘The Unanswered Question,’ ‘Emerson Concerto,’ ‘Three Places in New England’ and ‘Concord Sonata’

Why he might be annoying:

    The complex rhythm patterns in his works were difficult for other performers to follow.
    He told an unappreciative concert audience, ‘Stand up and take your dissonance like a man.’
    His ‘Concord Sonata’ calls for the pianist to use a 14-inch block of wood to create a massive cluster chord.
    He did not write any new music for the last 30+ years of his life, reportedly having told his wife ‘Nothing sounds right.’
    His First Symphony would not have its world premier until 1965 – more than 65 years after it had been written and a decade after Ives’ death.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He played on the varsity football team at Yale.
    In order to avoid compromising his musical vision, he made his living as an insurance agent, while composing as a hobby.
    He was so successful in the insurance biz that he was able to provide financial support to several other composers.
    Early admirers of his work included Arnold Schoenberg, Leonard Bernstein and Bernard Herrmann.
    His Third Symphony won the Pulitzer Prize for music (1947).
    He said, ‘Beauty in music is too often confused with something that lets the ears lie back in an easy chair.’

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 11 Votes: 54.55% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 6 Votes: 83.33% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 5 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying