Jeremy Denk
is one of
Charles Ives
' prominent modern-day champions, and he has backed up his advocacy with a variety of written essays in major publications. A good example of his way with words as well as music is on display in this 2024
Nonesuch
release, which pairs
Ives
' four violin sonatas, in reverse order, with the composer's two piano sonatas.
Denk
has recorded the piano sonatas before, but the violin sonatas, performed with
Stefan Jackiw
, add something to the argument. With the exception of the first one, these are not monumental
pieces but are gentler things with a good quotient of humor, as in the fitful attempts to break into ragtime -- well in advance of European composers' experiments with this genre -- at the beginning of the
Violin Sonata No. 3
. The violin sonatas have a rich panoply of references to American vernacular music, which
and
Jackiw
treat as snatches of music floating gracefully across a New England landscape. This gentler mood also informs
's new readings of the piano sonatas, where even the giant
Piano Sonata No. 2 ("Concord, Mass., 1840-1860)
does not have the feel of storming the musical ramparts with violent dissonance. Hear the finale, where
includes the optional flute part (played by
Tara Helen O'Connor
) and hides it back in the texture as if it were a song heard from a distance. This is lovely, and a major participant in the music's success is the late producer
Adam Abeshouse
, working at an auditorium at the State University of New York at Purchase. This album is a fitting tribute to his vast influence, although it wasn't intended as such; it must have been one of the last projects he worked on. There is much more to chew on here, beyond the scope of this review, which can be strongly recommended. ~ James Manheim