Chester Ide (1878-1944)

[Balapoel]

At the Art Music Forum, 'Latvian' has uploaded a symphony by Chester Ide (1878-1944), American.

Symphony in a minor
  Greenwich [Connecticut, USA] Symphony Orchestra
  David Gilbert, conductor

http://www.mediafire.com/?9mq2fdsn6mqkvci

Private recording from a public concert, never issued commercially. Probably from the 1980s, possibly 1978, the composer's centenary.

I have listened to this piece - quite compelling. I would characterize it as pastorale, with excellent craftmanship - particularly in the use of contrapuntal wind instruments. Also, the second movement, a funeral march, shows considerable emotional depth, moving from more melancholic to more wistful moods throughout.


From Latvian's description:
1910 edition of the Wa-Wan Press catalogue:
Chester Ide, of Springfield, Ill., is one of the few American composers whose studies have been conducted chiefly in England. He has a marked gift for melody and rhythm, and aims at simple beauty and clarity of expression. He infuses a spirit of buoyant happiness, a poetic uplift, into his music, that is one of its chief characteristics, and he delights also in moods of wistful and reflective character. His workmanship is extremely careful, and his management of modulations is particularly smooth, and the effect always lucid. A refinement of means is always evident in his work, and his interweaving of themes ingenious and unstrained.

[Balapoel]

Hmm... only 72 views for my Chester Ide post, and no comments, even with a recorded symphony...

[edurban]

I'll listen, I promise.  It's a hectic time and 'new' symphonies require a certain commitment of time and concentration;)...

David

[Mark Thomas]

I was a way from home for a month and so missed this one completely. Normally I'd pounce on a "new" symphony. Firstly, just to fill out the details, Fleisher in Philadelphia has a full set of parts and from their listing (and WordCat) comes the full info on the piece:

Chester Edward IDE (1878-1944)

Symphony in A minor (1932)
I. Allegro agitato ma non troppo
II. Adagio pesante
III. Scherzo: Vivace
IV. Finale: Con energico
Greenwich Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Gilbert

It appears to have been published at his widow's instigation, a year after his death. As to the music, I'll admit to having only listened to it once in the hour since I first read of it. Despite its date of composition, Ide's idiom will not ruffle late romantic sensibilities. My first impressions, maybe influenced by that 1910 assessment of his qualities as composer, are that it is a very competent piece of work. There is plenty of drive in the faster movements, his orchestration is clean and effective, and there's a welcome compactness to the whole thing. Although his English training does, to my ear at least, come through in the overall feeling of the work, there is nothing of our early 1900s "cowpat" music about it -  it's a generally energetic piece. Bax came to mind. I can't say that any of Ide's melodies have stuck with me after just the one hearing, but his motifs are strong and I'm looking forward to another, more relaxed, session with it later on today.

Thanks, Ben.

[kolaboy]

Many thanks for this