AMERICAN MUSIC SERIES 287 a-e
Vivian Perlis
With Libby Van Cleve
New Haven, CT
July 9, 1998 and July 14, 1998
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Side a pp. 1-13
Original idea of oral history on Ives--Kirkpatrick and Ives' barn files of manuscripts and memorabilia--preservation of that material--increase of interest in Ives at his centenary, 1974--Kirkpatrick's performance of the Concord Sonata in 1939--Harmony Ives--not well enough to be interviewed--ethical decisions about interviews representing an unusual time in a life--Ruggles' interview--Perlis' first visit to Myrick--Perlis' visits to the elderly-- subsequent Myrick interview--Kirkpatrick interview about Kirkpatrick--further Myrick interviews, his donation of materials, and the sense of urgency to contact others who knew Ives--valuable manuscripts and documents emerging after oral history interviews--Goddard Lieberson and ink score to Three Places in New England following interviews--Lieberson's contribution to American music--documents and letters found after interviews--interview with recording engineer Mary Howard and acquisition of original recordings of Ives playing--Ives 100th Anniversary record set with sample of Ives singing "Battle Cry of Freedom"--a taped interview with Ives--next interviews in Ives study--unique quality of material in the voice of the interviewee--Sydney Cowell and refusal of interview.
Side b pp. 13-26
People who knew Ives felt that he was special and made them feel special--Ives' generosity and passion--primary versus secondary sources as basis for an oral history study--multi-dimensional quality of secondary source study--appropriateness of such an approach to a character like Ives--support for Ives project from CBS records, NEH, and National Institute of Arts and Letters--initial suspicion about the project from librarians and musicologists--oral history and technology--transcript versus hearing the voice--Amelia VanWyck--Milhaud--interviewing composers about another composer--importance of attention to work of the interviewee--Goddard Lieberson--Philip Sunderland and George Ives--negative attitudes towards the music profession--Charles Ives' relation to his father--expansion of study to include other composers and to become Oral History, American Music--lack of oral history studies of other musicians or aspects of the music business-- Alexander Kipnis--origin of Oral History American Music and the Yale School of Music--funding difficulties
Side c pp. 26-39
Ives project interviewees still alive--James Flexner’s memories of dating Edith Ives--Flexner’s tale changes over time--Amelia VanWyck--her gift of a Catlin miniature to Perlis--VanWyck’s lost sketches--missed opportunites: Harmony Ives, Sarane Ives, Edie Ives--interview with Kathryn Verplanck-- detective work in locating interviewees--Louise Garbarino--Christine Loring-- Mary Howard--W. Eugene Smith--finding photos of Ives
Side d pp. 39-53
Trying to reach photographer Halley Erskine--Clara Sipprell--Radiana Pasmore -- Brewster Ives’ recollections of Harmony Ives reading to Charles--documentary on Ives: “A Good Dissonance Like a Man”--its use of actual voices from oral history project--the oral history project and subsequent book, Charles Ives Remembered by happenstance--How Ives affected others--Ives interviews as a multi-dimensional view of a time in American musical history--John Kirkpatrick--his unusual qualities and religious beliefs--Kirkpatrick and Kitty Heyman and the Concord Sonata --Carter interview and controversy--Dane Rudhyar--Robert Schmitz and Pro Musica--the Schmitz collection to Yale--Ornstein--Langinger--Bernard Herrmann--Ives’ influence on him--Herrmann’s interview--Lou Harrison--Ives’ influence on Harrison--
Side e pp. 53-60
Harrison’s interview--Harrison’s “Chinese pot”--Nicolas Slonimsky--Elie Siegmeister--Leticia Echlin who moved into the Ives house--Henry Cowell--Virgil Thomson and the Ives house--Amelia VanWyck and revisions in the Ives’ Danbury house--Edie Ives’ unusual letter --Jesse Angel Hall’s recollections of his uncle Charles Ives
AMERICAN MUSIC SERIES 287 i-k OHV
Vivian Perlis
With Libby Van Cleve
Weston, Connecticut
July 18, 2007
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Side i pp. 1-31
Earliest musical memories—father’s interest in instruments—mother’s piano playing—piano lessons—father buys a theremin—father’s business manufacturing artist’s brushes—his invention—studying at University of Michigan: liberal arts and School of Music—master’s in musicology—marriage—playing the harp—playing with the University of Michigan orchestra—study with harpist at Metropolitan Opera—harp technique—Carlos Salzedo—automobile accident—injury sustained in accident—having dermabrasion—work as art curator—running an art print rental service—strong interest in the visual arts—husband’s service in the army—master’s thesis on Midsummer Night’s Dream—jobs when first married—strong drive to work—harp performance—teaching at Philadelphia Academy of Music—early life—growing up during the Depression and the Second World War—recollections of popular music and jazz at the time—changes in technology—being a working mother—being a woman and the effect of gender on opportunities—Columbia’s policy of permitting work towards a doctorate only if you were full-time—studying harp with Marilyn Costello—change of husband’s interest from pediatrics to psychology—move to Stockbridge, Mass.—time in the Berkshires and birth of Lauren Perlis.
Side j pp. 31-61
Involvement with Tanglewood and the Boston Symphony—husband’s support—moving to Weston—taking a job at the Yale Library—interest in new music—interest in Ives material at Yale—reaction to criticisms of oral history—admiration of others—lack of interest from Dept. of Music—composers interviewed under consideration for second volume of Composer’s Voices--meeting Harry Partch through Betty Freeman—Partch’s situation, what he was like—his unusual instruments—aim of having some material in his voice—breadth of interest and in-depth quality of interviews—Charles Seeger—composers who became part of her life—office as “extended-family”—Leonard Bernstein—Bernstein’s relationship with Aaron Copland—special relationship of Bernstein, Copland, and William Schuman—Bernstein’s mercurial personality—his genius—his unpredictability—Copland, Bernstein, Perlis—interview—Bernstein’s sadness when recalling Kennedy’s assassination—filming Copland and Bernstein at the Lincoln memorial—Bernstein cancels interview involving Copland and Schuman.
Side k pp. 61-66
Memorial for Bernstein at Carnegie Hall on Copland’s ninetieth birthday (Nov. 14)—interview with Bernstein in Fairfield—Copland-Bernstein correspondence—Bernstein and Copland.