Charles Edward Ives was born in Danbury, Connecticut, on October 20, 1874. He is both the most outstanding composer in American history, as well as a winner of the 1947 Pulitzer Prize for his Third Symphony. This is the same symphony that Gustav Mahler reportedly brought to Europe but died before he could get a chance to perform it or return it to its home in America. Ives made his living selling insurance and composing on the weekends and nevertheless was still was able to compose many beautiful works which brought him into the eyes of the public, earning him both respect and celebrity status. At the early age of 15, Ives composed "Slow March" at the funeral for his cat Chin-Chin, and soon after began using fragments of patriotic music in his compositions of marches and hymns. He combined conventional music with the unconventional compositional techniques that he was taught by his father and was able to create his own unique style.
Photographic portrait of Alma Mahler, wife of the ...
Deutsch: Gustav Mahler
English: Gustav Mahler, memorial plaque at his res...During his life, Ives paid little heed to the musical styles and fashions, and was one of the first men to break through as a completely original composer. Ives' originality and complex personality made him the brilliant individual that he was, and enabled him to compose captivating music.
Gustav Mahler, born on July 7th, 1860 is a key figure and was the link between the late romantic and modern music periods. He was also the first composer with an American connection and conducted the New York Philharmonic but died before he was able to perform Ives's Third Symphony. Mahler was a perfectionist who converted from Judaism to Roman Catholicism in order to secure a post as an artistic director of the prestigious Vienna Opera, a post prohibited from the Jewish community at that time. Mahler was hounded...