Charles E. Ives

Memos

A source book incorporating all the most important unpublished writings of America's great composer.

Here are most of the previously unpublished writings of Charles E. Ives: a primary source book on this unique American composer.

These "Memos," as Ives called them, were on separate leaves and dealt with his music, composition, criticism, autobiography, biography, and many other topics. During his lifetime Ives rearranged them, lent them out, mislaid and tucked them away in books so that, in the late 1940s, only about three-fifths of the leaves were available to his biographer.

After his death in 1954, Ives's papers were gradually put in order, and in time most of the remaining leaves came to light. These two "batches" are here dovetailed into a three-part form by John Kirkpatrick, who has devotedly arranged, edited, and annotated them. Part One, "Pretext," sets forth Ives's aims, his views on music, critics, and criticism. In Part Two, "Scrapbook," Ives discusses his music. Part Three, "Memories," is devoted to biogrpahical and autobiographical remembrances.

The appendix consists of lists of Ives's music, other writings of Ives that round out the Memos, material clarifying Ives's relationship with people who influenced him, a play and a story Ives thought had operatic possibilities. There are three indices: a chronology of dates, an index to the music of Ives, and an index of names.