Memos

More about the book

A primary source book on Charles E. Ives, this volume presents most of the previously unpublished writings of the American composer. These "memos", as Ives called them, dealt with his music, composition, criticism, autobiography, biography and 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 them were available to his biographer. After his death in 1954, Ives's papers were gradually put in order and here have been arranged into three sections, edited and annotated by John Kirkpatrick. 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 biographical and autobiographical remembrances.