Publisher's Synopsis
Essays Before A Sonata is a collection of essays written by the American composer Charles Ives. The essays were originally intended to be read as a preface to his second piano sonata, but were later published as a separate work. The essays explore a variety of topics, including the nature of music, the creative process, and the role of the artist in society. Ives draws on a wide range of sources, including literature, philosophy, and science, to develop his ideas. The essays are written in a highly personal and idiosyncratic style, reflecting Ives' unconventional approach to music and his belief in the importance of individual expression. The book is considered a landmark in American music criticism and has influenced generations of composers and musicians.The substance of Hawthorne is so dripping wet with the supernatural, the phantasmal, the mystical--so surcharged with adventures, from the deeper picturesque to the illusive fantastic, one unconsciously finds oneself thinking of him as a poet of greater imaginative impulse than Emerson or Thoreau. He was not a greater poet possibly than they--but a greater artist.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
