This is a compilation of the New York Philharmonic and Leonard Berstein’s performances of the middle symphonies and The Unanswered Question, originally a piece paired with another but one that has found a lot of attention as a standalone.

Bernstein was one of the great champions of Ives once he was “discovered,” but these performances are actually significantly later than the premieres, which were handled by other conductors in the ’40s. Apparently Bernstein made some somewhat radical changes to some of the tempi and these changes have entered the repertoire. That’s not something that necessarily bothers me, though I understand why it would bother some. Having heard other versions of the two symphonies, I can only assume they were using Bernstein’s revisions.

I have already heard symphonies 2 and 3, and you can read my thoughts here.

The Unanswered Question deservedly gets a lot of attention. It’s a brief piece, but it’s a memorable one, and the philosophical undertones of the piece appear to add to its appeal for a lot of people. I’m not sure that’s necessary, however, as, whether we’re talking about the original or the 1935 revision, this is a pretty radical piece of music that manages to be haunting in a way that few other pieces of the 20th century have managed. (I am reminded of Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima, written for way more instruments, decades later.) It expresses the existential angst of the 20th century like little else. It’s great.

Whether or not you agree with Bernstein’s changes (or notice them), these are fairly definitive performances. I mean, Bernstein was basically a rock star, and here he is bringing extremely difficult music to the masses, which is great.

9/10

1. Symphony No. 2: I. Andante moderato 5:56
2. Symphony No. 2: Symphony No. 2: II. Allegro 10:21
3. Symphony No. 2: Symphony No. 2: Symphony No. 2: Symphony No. 2: III. Adagio cantabile 10:43
4. Symphony No. 2: IV. Lento maestoso 2:58
5. Symphony No. 2: Symphony No. 2: Symphony No. 2: Symphony No. 2: V. Allegro molto vivace 9:10
6. Symphony No. 3 “The Camp Meeting”: Symphony No. 3 “The Camp Meeting”: I. Old Folks Gatherin’ 8:48
7. Symphony No. 3 “The Camp Meeting”: Symphony No. 3 “The Camp Meeting”: II. Children’s Day 7:24
8. Symphony No. 3 “The Camp Meeting”: Symphony No. 3 “The Camp Meeting”: III. Communion 8:40
9. The Unanswered Question