This Naxos disc pairs the English chamber orchestra the
Northern Sinfonia with conductor
James Sinclair.
Sinclair is now the foremost scholar working within the field of
Charles Ives' music and has edited the main catalog of
Ives' works. While
Sinclair has recorded some of the shorter pieces on this disc before, some of the performing editions used here represent the latest word in terms of
Ives scholarship. Even to anyone who has heard practically every commercial recording made of all of these pieces, this Naxos disc comes as a revelation. The tempi in the Symphony No. 3 are more flexible than in most past recordings, and in some passages they may seem quicker than what an experienced Ivesian is used to. But the movements run at about the same length as they usually do, as
Sinclair creates contrast through playing other sections somewhat slower. The edition used of Washington's Birthday is particularly striking. Those who know the work well will hardly recognize the opening section, which is performed from a new edition. It is deeply moving and also somewhat alien, like having a sense of nostalgia for a past life on another planet. This also appears to represent the first time "The Unanswered Question and "Central Park" in the Dark have been compiled together on disc in the Two Contemplations context in which
Ives combined them in the 1930s. The recording is thankfully three-dimensional and spacious, and the program is generous and accessible. If you wonder why
Charles Ives is considered so great in the first place and can't get a handle on his music, this Naxos disc will prove an excellent key to unlock the mysterious power of his genius.