Baseball and the Music of Charles Ives
A Proving Ground
Timothy A. Johnson

List Price: $49.45 ISBN: 0-8108-4999-2 ISBN-13: 978-0-8108-4999-0 Pub Date: 2004 216 pages Binding: Paper Availability: In Stock   European customers click here

SUBJECTS
Music » Music (General)
Music » Biographies
Sports & Recreation » Baseball

AWARD(S)
The Sporting News-SABR Baseball Research Award 2004

REVIEWS
"Johnson's style is direct and readable without being esoteric, even when discussing some of the weightier elements of music theory....Inasmuch as Johnson's stated intent is to show Ives' love of baseball as a 'proving ground' for later developments in his musical evolution, it would be a fair assessment to say that he achieves this goal well." — AETHLON

DESCRIPTION
Through intelligent discussion of Ives's musical compositions combined with solid research on the composer's lifelong love of the American pastime, Ives's pioneering spirit and unique creativity are highlighted most clearly in this fascinating work.

After a useful review of the development of baseball in Ives's time coupled with a succinct biography, Johnson examines the heavy influence of the game and some of its players on Ives's development as a composer. The observations made here are fresh and insightful, and are further elucidated by musical examples and photographs of pertinent ball players and venues.

Music professionals, baseball historians, and baseball scholars will all find this a fascinating and useful resource.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Timothy Johnson teaches music theory at Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y.

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