Charles Ives - The Housatonic at Stockbridge

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Contented river! In thy dreamy realm
The cloudy willow and the plumy elm:
Thou beautiful!
From ev'ry dreamy hill
What eye but wanders with thee at thy will
Contented river!
And yet over-shy
To mask thy beauty from the eager eye;
Hast thou a thought to hide from field and town?
In some deep current of the sunlit brown
Ah! there's a restive ripple
And the swift red leaves
September's firstlings fastеr drift;
Wouldst thou away, dear stream?
Come, whispеr near!
I also of much resting have a fear:
Let me tomorrow thy companion be
By fall and shallow to the adventurous sea!

Release Date: January 01, 1922

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The meaning of the song

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"The Housatonic at Stockbridge" is a serene and contemplative piece by American composer Charles Ives. The song captures the tranquil beauty of the Housatonic River as it flows through the town of Stockbridge. The imagery of the cloudy willow and plumy elm trees, along with the reference to September's first red leaves, creates a vivid and peaceful scene in nature. The river is personified as a contented and shy entity, hiding its beauty from the world. The listener is invited to join the river on its journey to the sea, reflecting on the idea of restlessness and the desire for adventure. Overall, the song evokes a sense of calm and introspection, inviting the listener to connect with the natural world and contemplate the passage of time.

Biography

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Arguably the first modernist composer, Charles Ives (1874-1954) was a solitary figure who composed in obscurity for most of his life. The son of a U.S. Army bandleader, Ives enjoyed a wildly successful career as an insurance executive. In his spare time, he composed music in a wide variety of genres that combined popular song, church hymns, military marches, and European art music in ways that used tone clusters, polytonality, and other techniques decades before they were adopted by European composers.