# Ives - String Quartet 1 From the Salvation Army - A Revival Service (SQ review)



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Ives developed a love of American vernacular music including Stephen Foster's songs, Sousa's marches and Christian revival movement hymns. Composed between 1897 and 1900, his first string quartet samples many popular hymns of the time. The quartet's first movement (an exercise for organ composed earlier) is combined with a three-movement "revival" service which he composed for organ and strings. Originally the first fugal movement was removed but it was reintroduced by an Ives enthusiast in the 60s (and rightly so, IMO). The quartet is a perfect foil for Ives' string writing techniques - melodic invention inspired by popular songs, rhythmic variation, use of harmony, and the amalgamation and stacking of all these ideas. Ives' 1st quartet is a fine work that is far more accessible, melodic and lyrical than his more angular later quartet. Arguably it is the first real "American" quartet, composed by an American, even though it does share a few characteristics of the Dvorak American quartet, composed just before it. Ives later re-worked the first movement of this quartet as the third movement of his Fourth Symphony. It's believed that it was first performed decades after it was written, on April 24, 1957, in New York, by the Kohon String Quartet (the first to record it in 1963). The first movement, Chorale (andante con moto) is fugal and based on a hymn and vernacular song. Lowell Mason's 'Missionary Hymn' is the focus of the main theme which is highly melodic in nature. The 2nd movement 'Prelude' is an Allegro based on John Sweney's hymn 'Beulah Land' which Ives cleverly contorts so the original tune is just about recognisable. The 2nd theme of this movement is based on Root's song 'Shining Shore' (an important melody throughout the quartet). The 3rd movement is an adagio ('Offertory') using the gospel hymn 'Nettleton' before it morphs into further variations of 'Shining Shore'. 'Postlude', the Allegro marziale 4th movement, uses Webb's hymn 'Stand up for Jesus' as inspiration before earlier themes make a reappearance in further revised forms, especially Shining Shore, whose melodic variations permeate the last 3 movements. Quite a few recordings to go at and the good news is they're all at least good and the majority are excellent. 

Here's a YouTube clip of some excellent American musicians performing the quartet at the Festival Mozaic in 2017.






Recommended 

Blair - quick, daring and energetic but too rushed
Kohon (1963) - lacks refinement but still a very nice account. 

*Well recommended 

Leipziger* - after the pig's ear the Leipziger made of Ives' 2nd quartet I wasn't looking forward to this but there's nothing to worry about as they get Ives' more lyrical 1st quartet eloquently Beautiful intonation and just the right balance of instruments which make for a tight and effective finale, in particular. 
*Emerson* - what I like about this performance is the 'feel' of it. With the Emerson's skilled, highly, quite gentlly sympathetic account you almost get a sense that Ives is in the room with you. A lovely performance only let down by DG's slightly muddy engineering. 
*Concord (1975) *- another recording (not released on cd to my knowledge - but I have an LP rip) where the sum of the parts creates a highly attractive, joyous aural picture. The 70s analogue sound is decent enough but the Concord's vision is even finer. 
*Lydian* - played very gracefully this bright, engaged reading captures the freshness of the score in a very refined manner. This one grew on me significantly and they play the finale perfectly. 

*Top Picks

Juilliard* - this 56 year old recording may be old but the Juilliard's catch the grace, beauty, bounce and emotion of Ives' vision with clarity, vitality and huge character and in surprisingly clear and responsive analogue sound. This has always been a reference recording and it continues to be. 

*Escher* - a much more modern, digital alternative to the Juilliard recording this has the same wonderful qualities of great character, excellent dynamics and sensitive phrasing but with the extra transparency from the state of the art recording it sounds superb. I particularly love the way the Escher handle the 1st movement with exceptional skill.


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