concord
A Blog On Charles Ives' Second Piano Sonata
about The sonata
American composer Charles Ives originally published this piece, his second piano sonata, in 1920. It was then revised into a second edition, published in 1947. In his Essays Before A Sonata, Ives describes the piece as an "impression of the spirit of transcendentalism that is associated in the minds of many with Concord, Mass., of over half a century ago [1840-1860]" - hence the nickname "Concord" Sonata. Each movement is titled after a literary author: the Essays list "impressionistic pictures of Emerson and Thoreau, a sketch of the Alcotts, and a Scherzo supposed to reflect a lighter quality which is often found in the fantastic side of Hawthorne." Head over to the blog posts for a walk-through of each section, and check out the themes and quotes page for recurring musical ideas.
This blog was started as a recital preparation project in the long journey of learning the "Concord" Sonata.
Every day before upcoming performances, I will post new blog posts and practice videos to unpack this massive work! I have also included a basic glossary of themes and musical quotes used, according to various sources. The "Posts" page also has descriptions of each movement to act as program notes. Since there is so much background to this complex piece, and because it was never meant to be straightforward but to reward multiple listens, my goal is to provide enough information for audience members to feel engaged and familiarized.
Hopefully this will provide some insight for those unfamiliar with the "Concord" Sonata, and hopefully it will make sense of my interpretive choices.
"Hawthorne" blog posts are now complete!
about me
My name is Molly Sanford, and I am a pianist at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music pursuing a master's degree. I have been working on Charles Ives' "Concord" Sonata since October 2019, studying with Professor Michael Chertock. For my full bio and upcoming performances, check out my website.
Pictured: the decorated wooden board used in part two of "Hawthorne." I decorated with Sharpies and took inspiration from some of the Nathaniel Hawthorne stories that inspired the movement. There is a scarlet letter A hidden on the left, and there is a railroad and stars after "The Celestial Railroad." Christianity is a theme in almost all of Hawthorne's works, sometimes more subtly than others; when I drew this, the cross was relatively hidden as well. Upon painting over it, the outline popped out and became very prominent. Somehow, I think Hawthorne would approve.
Get in touch at sanforml@mail.uc.edu