Quotations of Ives

One of the most interesting aspects of the music of Charles Ives is his ability to use quotations from other pieces of music and blend them together in various ways to create completely new and interesting songs. Ives used several techniques in his use of quotations, among which are patchworks, which are a linking together of several quotations one after the other, and collages, which are a dense grouping of layered quotations. The effects that these techniques can cause to the theme and mood of a piece are incredible, and so Ives carefully arranged and detailed his music to ensure that the proper emotions would be evoked in the minds of those listening to his music. The purpose of this paper is to study Ives� use of quotations by comparing and contrasting quotations from the Civil War song The Battle Cry of Freedom within several of Ives� works, specifically �He is There!� from 114 Songs, and �The Fourth of July� from A Symphony: New England Holidays, and to describe how the use of these quotations affects the overall quality of each particular song.

There are three distinct quotations of The Battle Cry of Freedom found within the patriotic World War I song �He is There!� but each is used in a different manner and with a separate purpose. The first of these quotations can be found in mm. 32-33, in which the vocalist sings the words, �shout the Battle cry of Freedom� to the tune of �Columbia.� This literal quotation is fairly obvious to the listener, giving him or her a statement of national courage that one should be proud of. The words are reminders that just as the Civil War soldiers fought for their freedom, those who are currently fighting with the Allies will also stand strong and charge into battle for the cause of America.

The second quotation found in �He is There!� is the reverse of the first quotation, providing music but no text. Following the first chorus of �He is There!,� a short quotation of The Battle Cry of Freedom can be found in mm. 38-39. This quote is used in the transition back to the second verse and is played to the tune of the words �for it�s rally round.� Although extremely brief, the educated listener would have no trouble picking up the quote and putting this musical reference together with the aforementioned lyrical reference. Ives used this quick quotation not only to provide for the return of the verse, but also to hint that something more would soon develop within the song.

The third and final quotation of The Battle Cry of Freedom comes as a grand ending to a truly patriotic song. The conclusion of the second chorus builds into a powerful finale, which follows both musically and lyrically the ending of The Battle Cry of Freedom. In mm. 44-48, the vocalist now sings the words, �For it�s rally round the Flag boys, Rally once again, Shouting the battle cry of Freedom� to the tune originally written by George Root. This ending gives closure to the piece as patriotic by hearkening completely back to a song previously used as a rally cry. Those familiar with the original song will recognize its use and understand that great things have been done in this country due to the courage and beliefs of its people, and that by remembering those who have come before, the country can continue to succeed in the face of adversity.

Although this final quotation is almost an exact replica of the close of The Battle Cry of Freedom, there are several small details of difference musically that are incredibly difficult to hear. To illustrate these differences, one must look closely at the score for �He is There!� and at the following portion of the original song.

Imagine music piece here

In Ives� quotation, the vocalist and the music are never simultaneously correct in rhythmically following the original song. During mm. 44-45, the music is an accurate representation, whereas the vocal melody is not exact. Rather than a dotted eighth note followed by a sixteenth note, the words �round the� are sung straight through as eighth notes. The reverse can be said about the following measure, as the vocals are sung to the same rhythm as the original, but the accompaniment is slightly off. Finally, in mm. 47-48, both the lyrics and the music are different from the original composition, but are corresponding in regards to each other. These slight changes that Ives made to The Battle Cry of Freedom may be almost unnoticeable, but they offer an excellent reflection upon the statement that quotations can make. In this instance, it seems Ives is trying to impress upon the careful listener to not simply follow blindly the old ways, but to adjust things that have worked to meet modern problems on a completely new level.

In relation to other quotations in the piece, these segments are linked together systematically in a patchwork fashion. Ives transitioned smoothly from one historic song to another, occasionally using lyrical quotations with separate musical quotations. Together, the composition of a large number of patriotic songs linked one after another creates a new song with a new focus out of old material, and concludes, as previously mentioned, with the inspiring cry for freedom.

In contrast, �The Fourth of July� offers a smorgasbord of quotations that often hit the listener at unexpected times. Ives uses this collage to give the feeling of remembrance of past times, and although none are whole or perfect, they each bring to mind other memories. Quotations of The Battle Cry of Freedom can be found specifically at two locations in the song.

The first quotation is a short piece on the cello, which can be found in m. 26, basically still in the introduction material to the piece. At this point, Ives is attempting to establish the aspects that will be the main focus later in the song. He uses several quotations from patriotic songs briefly to give the listener a taste of what is yet to come, or as the story of the song tells, what is yet to be remembered more fully. This specific quotation is the melody to the words �rally round the flag,� and requires the careful attention of the listener to be heard. The quotation goes by quickly and can easily be missed.

As the song goes on, the tempo increases and a number of song fragments begin playing interwoven with one another. Included in this collage is "The Battle Cry of Freedom", which suddenly can be heard in mm. 53-55, played by the horns and viola. In contrast to the earlier quotation in the piece, this segment of the song is quite distinct to the listener, stretching prominently in the composition for three measures. The use of this patriotic song in the context of the others simply adds to the feeling of remembrance on this American holiday. Just as the quotation seemingly appears from another distinct segment out of nowhere, the quotation branches into yet another distinct song. Ives continues with this method for several measures, emphasizing how memories enact other memories.

At the conclusion of this piece, it appears utter chaos has taken over the orchestra. Separate instruments play different quotations simultaneously, giving the feel of complete confusion. In addition to the feeling of remembrance, the listener becomes envisioned with a grand fireworks display, lighting up the sky in a variety of colors. The piece finishes with an explosion, a fitting way to end a Fourth of July.

In conclusion, quotations can be used in various ways to evoke specific moods that the composer wishes to convey. Charles Ives was one of the greats at using this method. As discussed in his two pieces, �He is There!� and �The Fourth of July,� Ives used quotations as both a patchwork and a collage, utilizing The Battle Cry of Freedom and other patriotic songs to tell of the past and to march into the future.