Harold Farberman's production of The Celestial Country permits objective comparisons between Ives and Horatio Parker. The adversarial relationship between them has probably been exaggerated. In this work, Ives emulated and borrowed from his teacher's oratorio, Hora novissima, in part because Parker was a paragon of musical success. Ascribing realistic motivations to Ives enlarges the stature of his later achievements, rather than diminishing them. At the same time it helps to restore the damaged reputation of Parker.

Index Classifications: 1800s

Contributed by: Daniel Bertram