Overview

This site reproduces the complete front matter to the new Critical Performance Edition of the Ives Fourth Symphony. The edition is perhaps unique in that the score, parts, and introductory essays were revised and expanded following real-world feedback from twelve different ensembles across North America and Europe. Those reactions were obtained during the initial five-year period of the edition’s use, which commenced with its premiere at the 2012 Lucerne Festival. During preparations and rehearsals, feedback was collected on-site and directly from conductors, musicians, orchestra librarians, and even stage hands. This information revealed what needed clarification in the score, parts, and introductory essays.

Because the introductory materials to the edition are extensive, this site has been created so that specific information may be retrieved easily and read on desktop or mobile devices. It should facilitate performance preparations in our modern digital age, where answers to difficult questions demand easy retrieval.

The complete written front matter to the edition, comprising 16 different essays of varying lengths, is provided in the Articles section of this site. Links to published and rental scores of the new Ives Fourth Symphony Critical Performing Edition—as well as links to commercial recordings and videos of performances of the new edition—are provided in the Media section. Additional online reference material and articles are provided in the Resources section. Finally, the editor welcomes feedback on the edition and any other communication of interest, and may be reached via the Contact page.

Desktop Display and Navigation

When viewing this site on a laptop, the Site Menu is always available on the masthead at the top of the screen. Right now, for example, the Home navigation is selected and highlighted (i.e., if you are viewing the site on a desktop or laptop currently; on a mobile device, the various pages of the site are accessible via the sliding three-bar menu control, covered below.)

To view the articles, which are the main feature of the site, click on the Articles link on the site menu. The initial Preface article will be opened, and an Article Navigation list will appear on the left. Clicking on any article in the list will open that article:

If there are multiple sections in an article, then a Subsection Navigation list (“hashed” sections list) will appear on the right. It displays the names of the subsections within the current article. Clicking on a link in this list will take you to that subsection within the current article.

For example, if you selected Survival Guide, that article would load and the display will change to appear this way, with the Article Navigation list on the left and the Subsection Navigation list on the right:

Notice that the Article Navigation list remains on the left-hand side of the screen. This will allow you to move from article to article instantly. The Subsection Navigation will change from article to article, or not appear at all if there are no subsections in an article.

So, to select a different article using the Article Navigation list, either:

• Click it with your cursor, or:
• Press TAB (to advance down the list) or Shift+TAB (to move up the list), and then press Enter to load the highlighted article.

The same techniques may be used to select subsections of articles using that navigation list.

At any point, you may use your browser’s back and forward buttons to move through your previous selections of articles and “hashed” subsections of articles. To search for a term in an article, use your browser’s “find” feature (e.g., Ctrl+F in Chrome).

If you wish to forward an article to someone and want it to open at a specific subsection, open the article first, then select the subsection from the subsection navigation on the right, and then copy the complete URL for forwarding.

For example, if someone is seeking information about the Extra Violin II and Extra Viola parts in the Comedy movement, then by navigating there, as instructed above, the full URL will be https://ives-fourth-symphony.com/articles/survival-guide#extra-violin-ii-and-extra-viola-parts. Copy and send, and when the recipient clicks on the link, the article will open to that article at that subsection.

Mobile Display and Navigation

On mobile devices, the display is restricted to the article and a vertically expandable subsection navigation on the main screen. To navigate about the site, click on the triple-bar menu button at the top left of the masthead:

This will cause a slide menu to appear from the left of the screen (a bit of the original display will still be on the right, albeit grayed-out). The slide menu will have either one or two sides, depending on what you’ve been viewing on the site.

If you’ve been viewing an article on the site, the slide menu will default to the Article Navigation list. Pressing on a list item there will switch to that article, but to view it you’ll then need to close the menu by pressing on the grayed-out area, which will close the slide menu and reveal the new article:

When viewing articles on the site, there will be a second side to the menu. This will be indicated by the presence of an arrow at the top of the slide menu. Press on the arrow and the slide menu will toggle to the other side, which will display the Main Site menu:

As with article selection, just press on the desired Main Site section and it will load in the background. Display it by pressing on the grayed-out area on the right of the screen to close the slide menu. Alternatively, to return to the Article Navigation list, press the arrow at the top of the slide menu and it will switch to that display. (Only when in the Articles section of the site will the slide menu have two sides, switchable by arrow-pressing; the slide menu will only display the Site Menu when you are visiting any other page of the site, and will not have an arrow at the top.)

Final thoughts

The design of this site is meant to be user-friendly and easily navigable. The content of the site is intended to clarify the intentions of the composer and the options he provided for conductor and musician alike. With luck, the Ives Fourth has finally been tamed and is seaworthy.

2018