List of compositions by Charles Ives explained

The compositions of American composer Charles Ives (1874–1954) are mostly modern classical music. Ives was prolific, revised works multiple times, and left ambiguous fragments with no title or notes. A chronology of works is especially difficult because of missing and sometimes misleading dates;[1] as Elliott Carter put it in 1939: "[Ives] has rewritten his works so many times, adding dissonances and polyrhythms, that it is impossible to tell just at what date the works assumed the surprising form we know now."[2]

This list follows James B. Sinclair's A Descriptive Catalogue of the Music of Charles Ives.[3] It does not include fragments or projected works.

Orchestra

Symphonies

Sets

For orchestra
For chamber orchestra

Overtures

Marches

Others

Band

Chamber/Instrumental

String quartet
Violin sonata
Other

Keyboard

Works for piano

Sonatas

Studies

Marches

Other works

Two pianos

Works for organ

Vocal

Songs

Title(Incipit)in 114 SongsCollectionsWordsComments
Abide with me
Aeschylus and Sophocles19 Songs
AfterglowAt the quite close39James Fenimore Cooper Jr.
AllegroBy morning's brightest beam95H. or Ch. Ives
The All-Enduring
Amphion (from "Amphion")The mountain stirred106Tennyson
Ann StreetQuaint name…25Maurice Morris
At Parting
At SeaSome things are undivined4R. U. Johnson
At the RiverShall we gatherRobert Lowryarr. from Violin Sonata 4
Atalanta
AugustFor August, be your dwelling35D. G. Rossetti, after San Geminiano
Autumn [II]Earth rests60H. or Ch. Ives
Because of You
Because Thou Art
BerceuseO're the mountain93H. or Ch. Ives
The CageA leopard went around64H. or Ch. Ives
The Camp MeetingAcross the summer meadows47Charlotte Elliotfrom Symphony No. 3
Canon [I]Oh, the days are gone11119 SongsMoore
Canon [II]
Chanson de FlorianAh! s'il est dans votre village78Claris de Florian
Charlie RutlageAnother good cowpuncher10Cowboy Songs
The Children's Hour, fromBetween the dark74Longfellow
A Christmas CarolLittle town of Bethlehem10019 Songs"traditional"
The Circus BandAll summer long56H. or Ch. Ives
The CollectionNow help us, Lord38"stanzas from old hymns"
The Coming of the Day
Country Celestial
Cradle SongHush thee3319 SongsA. L. Ives
DecemberLast, for December37D. G. Rossetti, after San Geminiano
DisclosureThoughts, which deeply rest7Ch. or H. Ives
Down EastSongs! Visions of my home55Ives
Dream Sweetly
DreamsWhen twilight comes85Porteous[9] German version?
Du alte Mutter / My dear old mother
Du bist wie eine BlumeHeinrich Heine
Ein Ton / I hear a tone
ElégieO doux printemps77Gallet
The Ending Year
EveningNow came still Evening2Milton
EvidenceThere comes o're the valley58Ives
Far from my heav'nly home
Far in the wood
A Farewell to Land19 Songs
La FèdeLa fede mai non debe3419 SongsAriosto
Feldeinsamkeit / In Summer FieldsIch ruhe still / Quite still I lie8219 SongsAllmers (tr. Chapman)
Flag Song
Forward into Light99Alford after St Bernardfrom "The Celestial Country"
Friendship
Frühlingslied
General William Booth Enters into HeavenBooth led boldly19 SongsVachel Lindsay
God Bless and Keep Thee
Grace
Grantchesterwould I were in Grantchester17Rupert Brooke
The Greatest ManMy teacher said19Anne Timoney Collins[10]
Gruss
Harpalus (An Ancient Pastoral)Oh, Harpalus!73Thomas Percy
He Is There!Fifteen years ago50Ivesalso a WW2 sequel
Her Eyes
Her gown was of vermilion silk
His ExaltationFor the grandeur46Robert Robinsonfrom Violin Sonata No. 2
The Housatonic at StockbridgeContented river!15R. U. Johnson
HymnThou hidden love20James George Walton after Tersteegenquoted by O. W. Holmes
Hymn of Trust
I knew and loved a maid
I travelled among unknown menI travelled among unknown men75Wordsworth
Ich grolle nicht / I'll not complain83Heinew/o English in 114
Ilmenau / Over all the treetopsÜber allen Gipfeln/Over all the hilltops68Goethe (tr. Harmony Twitchell Ives)
ImmortalityWho dares to say5
In a mountain spring
In April-tide
In Autumn
In Flanders FieldsIn Flanders Fields49McCrae
In My Beloved's Eyes
In the AlleyOn my way to work53Ives
from the "Incantation"When the moon18Byron
Incomplete song [I]
Incomplete song [II]
The IndiansAlas! for them14Charles Sprague
The InnateVoices live in every finite being4019 SongsIves
KärenDo'st remember child!91unknown
The Last ReaderI sometimes sit3O. W. Holmes
The Light That Is FeltA tender child66Whittier
Like a Sick EagleThe spirit is too weak26Keats
Lincoln, the Great CommonerAnd so he came11Edwin Markham
Longing
Die Lotosblume / The Lotus FlowerDie Lotosblume ängstigtHeinesee The South wind
The Love Song of Har Dyal
Luck and WorkWhile one will search21R. U. Johnson
MajorityThe Masses119 SongsCh. Ives
Maple LeavesOctober turned my maple's leaves23Th. B. Aldrich
MarieMarie, I see thee92Gottschall
Memories: a. Very Pleasant; b. Rather SadWe're sitting in the opera house/ From the street a strain102
Minnelied
MirageThe hope I dreamed of70Ives
Mists [I]Low lie the mists57Ives
Mists [II]
My Lou Jennine
My Native Land [I]My Native Land now meets my eye101Traditional
My Native Land [II]Farewell to land?
My Task
Nature's WayWhen the distant evening61Ives
Naught that country needeth98Alford after St Bernardfrom "The Celestial Country"
The New RiverDown the river6Ch. or H. Ives
Night of Frost in May (from)There was the lyre of earth84Meredith
A Night SongThe young May moon88Moore
A Night ThoughtHow oft a cloud107Moore
No More
Nov. 2, 1920 (An Election)It strikes me that2219 Songs (An Election)Ch. Ives?
An Old FlameWhen dreams enfold me87Ives
Old Home DayGo my songs!52Ives
The Old Mother/ Du alte MutterDu alte Mutter/My dear old mother81Cordier, after Vinjeset by Grieg "Du gamle Mor!"
Omens and OraclesPhantoms of the future86'unknown' [[[Robert Bulwer-Lytton]] ]
On Judges' Walk
On the Antipodes19 Songs2 pianos & organ pedal
On the CounterTunes we heard28Ch. Ives?
"1, 2, 3"
The One Way
The Only Son
Paracelsus (from)For God is glorified3019 SongsBrowningfrom latter part of sc. v
Peaks
A Perfect Day
Pictures
PremonitionsThere's a shadow24R. U. Johnson
Qu'il m'irait bienQu'il m'irait bien76Moreau Delano
The Rainbow (So May It Be!)My heart leaps up8Wordsworth
ReligionThere is no unbelief.16James T. Bixby
RemembranceThe sound of a distant horn12Ch. Ivesuntitled in 114; "The Pond" in orchestral version
Requiem19 Songs
ResolutionWalking stronger1319 SongsCh. or H. Ives
Rock of Ages
Romanzo (di Central Park)Grove, Rove, Night, Delight96parody, attr. Leigh Hunt
Rosamunde (De la drama:)J'attends, helas!79Bélanger
Rosenzweige
Rough WindRough wind that moanest loud69Shelley
Runaway Horse on Main Street
A Scotch Lullaby
A Sea Dirge
The Sea of Sleep
The See'rAn old man29Ch.Ives?
Sehnsucht
SeptemberAnd in September36D. G. Rossetti, after San Geminiano
SerenityO Sabbath rest of [sic]42Whittier
The Side ShowIs that Mister Riley32Ives
Slow March (Inscribed to the Children's Faithful Friend)One evening just at sunset114H. or Ch. Ivesafter the dead march in Saul
Slugging a Vampire19 SongsIvessee Tarrant Moss, replaced for copyright reasons
Smoke
Soliloquy
A Son of a GambolierCome join my humble ditty54Ives?
Song
A Song—For Anything: a. When the waves softly sigh; b. Yale, Farewell!; c. Hear My Prayer, O Lord89
Song for Harvest Season
The Song of the Dead [lost]
Song without words [I]
Song without words [II]
Song without words [III]
Songs my Mother Taught Me108Heyduk 'tr. adapted'
The South Wind / Die LotosblumeWhen gently blows97Ives, substituting Heine
Spring SongAcross the hill of late65Ives
The Sun shines hot
Sunrise
Swimmers (from the)Then the swift plunge27Louis Untermeyer
Tarrant MossI closed and drew72Kiplingsee Sluggin a Vampire
Thee I Love
There is a certain garden
There is a laneThere is a lane71Ives
There's a time in many a lifeC.Ivesrevised version of He is there! in 1917
The Things Our Fathers LovedI think there must43Ives
ThoreauHe grew in those seasons48from Piano Sonata 2
Those Evening BellsThose Evening Bells!63Moore
Through Night and Day
To EdithSo like a flower112Ivesnew words?
ToleranceHow can I turn59Pres. Hadley (actually Kipling[11])
Tom Sails AwayScenes from my childhood5119 SongsIves
Two Little FlowersOn sunny days in our backyard10419 SongsH. or Ch. Ives
Two Slants (Christian and Pagan): a. Duty; b. Vita9 a&b
Vote for Names! NamesNames!
The Waiting SoulBreathe from the gentle South62Cowper [??]
WalkingA big October morning67Ives
Walt WhitmanWho goes there?31Walt Whitmanfrom LoG stanza 20
WaltzRound and round109Ives
Watchman! Watchman, tell us44John Bowringfrom Violin Sonata 2
Watchman! [II]
Weil' auf mir / Eyes so darkWeil auf mir/Eyes so dark80Lenau/Westbrook
West LondonCrouch'd on the pavement105Matthew Arnold
When stars are in the quiet skiesWhen stars are in the quiet skies113Bulwer-Lytton
Where the eagle cannot see94Monica Peveril Turnbull
The White Gulls (from the Russian)The White Gulls dip and wheel103Maurice Morris
Who knows the light
Widmung
Wie Melodien zieht es mir
Wiegenlied
William Will
The World's HighwayFor long I wander'd happily90H. or Ch. Ives
The World's WanderersTell me, star110Shelley
Yellow Leaves

Choral works

Multi-movement sacred works

Psalms

Other sacred works

Secular chorus with instrumental ensemble

Partsongs

Ballets to the music of Charles Ives

Notes and References

  1. [Maynard Solomon]
  2. [Elliott Carter|Carter, Elliott]
  3. Book: Sinclair, James B.. James Sinclair (conductor). A Descriptive Catalogue of the Music of Charles Ives. Yale University Press. 1999. 9780300076011.
  4. [Gardner Read]
  5. Web site: Evenings for New Music, Tuesday February 22, 1966 . 2022-10-21 . www.carnegiehall.org.
  6. Web site: Charles Ives: List of Compositions . 2015-02-15 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150222144018/http://www.charlesives.org/10workslist.htm . 22 February 2015 .
  7. Web site: The Unknown Ives liner notes . 2015-02-15 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130701231918/http://www.newworldrecords.org/linernotes/nwcr811.pdf . 1 July 2013 .
  8. Henderson, Clayton W. (2008). The Charles Ives Tunebook. Indiana University Press. .
  9. https://www.lieder.net/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=18130 Anton Strelezki after 'Baroness Porteous'?
  10. https://www.kylegann.com/PC111022-Woman-Behind-Greatest-Man.html "The Woman behind 'The Greatest Man
  11. Ives, who had difficulties with Kipling's executors, identifies the text as a quotation from a lecture. The lines within the quote however originate in Kipling's The Fire