At War With Himself:

An Introspective Look at Charles Ives

Through “Putnam’s Camp” from Three Places in New England

Michael Tropp

MUS_CLAS 211 Musicology II

Professor Leal
December 11, 2022
 Tropp 1
America. A seven-letter word that means countless things to the eight billion people in

the world. To some, the word America means freedom, victory, celebration. To others it rings of

sorrow, loss, and tragedy. The United States of America, young in comparison to some of its

peers, is a truly unique place full of unique experiences for each and every person who interacts

with it. Some things, like the stars and stripes on the flag, remain constant, though, in ideas of

this country. Whether it is hotdogs on the Fourth of July or the snare drums during a marching

band show on a football field, war looms in the background. The fascination with war is a truly

uniquely-American feeling. In almost every aspect of Americana, war has its place.

As the twentieth century began, the idea of war was the last thing the American people

wanted going on. A few decades after the Civil War, nobody could predict what was about to

come in terms of conflict through the next century. The early twentieth century is often viewed

as a time of change, both good and bad. The growth and development of global economies, as

well as an explosion of culture around the world are both parts of the incredible time this was. As

for the United States, for the first time, a truly national identity was being formed. No longer

would Americans follow the European trends and ideals, as they began to make their own. Music

in particular would play an enormous role in the development of American culture as the

twentieth century went on.

Charles Ives was born in Danbury, Connecticut on October 20th, 1874, just nine years

after the end of the Civil War in 1865. Raised with a musical background, Ives would go on to

attend Yale from 1894-1898, where he studied composition under Horatio Parker, a man of

tradition1. Parker, who would later seem to be the antithesis to Ives’ writing, was a very uptight

composer, in a sense that he believed in the traditional methods and styles of composition. The

1
"Ives, Charles Edward." In Who's Who in the Twentieth Century, edited by Market House Books, . : Oxford
University Press, 1999.
 Tropp 2
very idea of neo-classical music was appalling to Parker, and in Ives’ time at Yale, Parker forced

him to focus solely on traditional, Eurocentric, composition.23 Throughout his time with Parker,

though, Ives pushed back. He craved exploring the new, fascinating techniques taking Europe by

storm, and wanted to craft them into something uniquely American.

As Charles Ives grew into his strengths as a composer, he was initially interested in the

classical tradition. Despite many painting him as a modernist through and through, Ives initially

composed in the form of German lieder. Through his studies with Horatio Parker, he

“incorporated elements of the European tradition, resulting in a noteworthy corpus of highly

‘traditional’ late Romantic compositions.”4 Remnants of his rural upbringing remained, though,

and as Ives got more involved in composition after time as a Wall Street executive, they began to

show through in his compositions. Ives’ upbringing in Connecticut gave him a unique experience

of almost a frontier lifestyle on the East coast of the United States. His family’s influence on the

small town of Danbury stretched back generations– his grandfather had founded the town bank,

and his father led a brass band.5 But the growing industrialization of the Northeast began

affecting his town early in his life, placing a sense of conflict into a young Charles Ives.

George Ives, Charles’ father, became a bandleader in the Union army during the Civil

War at just seventeen years old.6 In a fashion similar to his future son, George developed a love

for music from an early age. He was fascinated by wind instruments in particular, and would go

2
"Parker, Horatio William." In The Oxford Dictionary of Music, edited by Kennedy, Joyce, Michael Kennedy, and
Tim Rutherford-Johnson. : Oxford University Press, 2012.
https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199578108.001.0001/acref-9780199578108-e-6834.
3
Thomas Kint, Charles Ives and the Lied: Modelling in Ives’s Early German Song Repertory, Music and Letters,
Volume 102, Issue 4, November 2021, Pages 783–810, https://doi.org/10.1093/ml/gcab049
4
Kint
5
Stephen Budiansky. 2014. Mad Music : Charles Ives, the Nostalgic Rebel. Lebanon: University Press of New
England. Accessed December 10, 2022. ProQuest Ebook Central.
6
David C. Paul. Charles Ives in the Mirror : American Histories of an Iconic Composer. Baltimore: University of
Illinois Press, 2013. Accessed December 11, 2022. ProQuest Ebook Central.
 Tropp 3
on to conduct bands for the rest of his life.7 George Ives loathed his time in the army. He spent

every waking moment hoping for the war to end. At one point, in the summer of 1864, he

smashed his cornet in attempts to be thrown out of the army, and was eventually

court-martialled.8 His time in the army left a lasting distaste for war on the Ives family. As

American citizens for decades, the family had fought in many battles for the country. After the

Civil War, though, things looked bright for the United States for at least a brief moment, largely

until the beginnings of the twentieth century brought conflict in Europe that the United States

eventually had to address.

In the summer of 1904, as he reached the age of thirty, Charles Ives began composing

music for an opera set to one of his uncle’s, Lyman Brewster’s, plays. Brewster would die before

the completion of the project, leading to Ives abandoning it. He did not abandon all of the music,

though, as he would go on in 1911 to combine one of his opera movements with other works to

create the second movement of his Three Places in New England suite, “Putnam’s Camp.”9

Throughout his career, Ives was noted to reuse music from other, previously written pieces,

whether by him or not. Rather than choosing from contemporary, modern music, though, Ives

typically chose to draw from music of the white American tradition.10 This meant that themes

and variations of classic folk songs were visible through much of his works. In “Putnam’s Camp”

specifically, one can hear inklings of “British Grenadiers,” and “Yankee Doodle,” just to name a

few.11 Ives’ development in a post-Civil War America, growing up in the rural Northeast, gave

7
Budiansky, 39
8
Budiansky, 40
9
Budiansky, 110
10
Charles Hiroshi Garrett. Struggling to Define a Nation: American Music and the Twentieth Century. Berkeley:
University of California Press, 2008. https://hdl.handle.net/2027/heb31680.0001.001. EPUB.
11
Charles Ives, and James B. Sinclair. “Three Places in New England : a New England Symphony : First Orchestral
Set.” Bryn Mawr: Mercury Music Corp. ; T. Presser Co., sole representative, 1976.
 Tropp 4
him a unique experience that caused much of his music to reflect one of the greatest American

ideals: war.

Given his father’s negative experiences with war, it is no surprise that Charles Ives would

not enlist in either of the two World Wars. This was in part due to health concerns, as Ives

suffered ‘heart attacks,’ (later presumed to be some sort of psychotic issue related to a hidden

case of diabetes) throughout his life.12 This did not stop him, however, from writing a number of

pieces directly referencing America. Ives wrote pieces ranging from a “Holiday Symphony” that

included movements referencing the Fourth of July and George Washington’s birthday to a

ragtime suite to a piece that included a Native American’s drum.13 One of the most notable of his

compositions, the second movement of his Three Places in New England suite, “Putnam’s

Camp,” is one of the most demonstrable examples of Ives’ connection to America, and beyond

that, war. It is written as a sort of homage to Israel Putnam, a Revolutionary War general, and

also to his home state of Connecticut, a source of inspiration for countless numbers of Ives’

pieces.14 Through his upbringing and education, Ives stayed in Connecticut, a sense of loyalty

that he would hold his whole life.

Until Charles Ives began composing and creating music that fit the classical tradition, the

United States did not have its own classical music. There were halls and performance venues

throughout the country, but no “American” music to be performed in them besides jazz, which

would never have been considered to play in such elegant locations at the time. Music in its

nature is political, and it became clear that American classical music was needed. It is fitting,

then, that this music would have a strong association with war, as the American identity is built

12
Kint, 124
13
James B. Sinclair. “Appendix 1: Ives’s Work-Lists.” In Descriptive Catalogue of the Music of Charles Ives,
633–46. Yale University Press, 1999. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt2250wtd.20.
14
Sinclair, 633-35
 Tropp 5
around just that. He focused on more elements than just war in many of his compositions,

though. Ives incorporated ragtime and other Black American music into his writing, something

that would have been shocking at the time for a white composer.15 He also enjoyed pulling in

traditional hymns and other, more folk-based, songs, recomposing or simply sampling elements

from them into his symphonies and piano pieces.

Israel Putnam, second in command only to George Washington during the Revolutionary

War, was the senior Major-General of the United States Army. He rose in the ranks from just a

lowly enlistee to that coveted position, and became a legend both in and out of Connecticut.

Putnam would go on to fight in the French and Indian War, surviving that as well and living to

the ripe age of seventy three.16 Given his connection with Connecticut, it seems fitting that

Charles Ives would choose Putnam as the inspiration for the title of his second movement. For

decades, musicologists have viewed this second movement as one of Ives’ most characteristic

works. It is scored for a full orchestra and includes a rather robust percussion section, which

comes into play to create an incredibly important motif.17 It sounds remarkably similar to a

traditional march-style piece, while still maintaining a lot of elements of a typical

multi-movement work. There are not ‘strains’ as in a normal march that would only last a few

minutes, but there are certainly distinct sections.18 Within these sections, Ives incorporates

march-like feelings and progressions, which create a piece that is not a march, but also not any

typical movement of a work in the classical realm.

15
Garrett, 26
16
David Humphreys. An Essay on the Life of the Honourable Major-General Israel Putnam. Indianapolis, IN:
Liberty Fund, Incorporated, 2000. Accessed December 10, 2022. ProQuest Ebook Central.
17
Richard Taruskin and Christopher Howard Gibbs. 2013. The Oxford History of Western Music College ed. New
York: Oxford University Press.
18
Ives and Sinclair (Score)
 Tropp 6
The hallmark element of Ives’ “Putnam’s Camp” is the two percussion parts. They are

written in a way that they contrast each other, leading to a sense that two ensembles are playing

at once. Some of the winds and strings follow one percussionist, while the rest follow the other.

Throughout the piece, a sense of clashing meters is created, while never actually being written in

multiple meters at once.19 Ives creates almost a polyrhythmic feel. Ives creatively uses triplets,

rests, and patterns in both the snare and bass drum part that offset them from each other, twisting

the listener’s brain into believing that there could be two ensembles in front of them. In Figure 1

below, it can be seen that certain parts of the ensemble follow the two percussion parts– the

Tuba, for example, follows snare while the trombone is more in line with the bass drum.20

Figure 1

All of this contrast comes together, creating the “two ensembles” and creating a feeling of war. It

seems obvious that a piece about a Revolutionary War general would contain at least themes of

19
Ives and Sinclair (Score)
20
Ives and Sinclair (Score)
 Tropp 7
war, but Ives writes “Putnam’s Camp” in a way that creates so much tension that the ensemble

comes alive and is at war with itself.

As an orchestral piece, disregarding the percussion section, “Putnam’s Camp” seems very

typical. If anything, it seems like a smaller ensemble than typical. Most of the wind parts are not

split, and would only call for one player, similar to the strings, though multiple would still be

needed for each part.21 It is surprising that an effect such as a split ensemble can be created with

such a moderately sized group, but Ives made sure it would happen through his orchestration of

the piece. He paired instruments in ways that similar tonal qualities and timbres could be heard

in each of the “ensembles,” effectively creating a split of groups that works.

Though militaries across the world have always had some form of rhythmic or musical

element as they march to war, the United States exponentially expanded and latched onto the

idea of a military band. Bands like the President’s Own Marine Band or Pershing’s Own Army

Band are now regarded as some of the most prestigious ensembles in the country. Marching band

has transformed from a way to intimidate other armies and show nationalistic pride into an after

school activity for high schoolers across the nation. It has become an art form of its own,

combining music and movement in a completely unique way. Ives would have experienced this

transition of marching band from military to a way for schools to show pride throughout his life.

He would have seen colleges and universities adopting “fight songs” and developing traditions

surrounding these bands. Regardless of the setting, marching bands are quintessentially

American.

Though he did not see the direct effects of the Revolutionary War, and the Civil War

mainly took place far from his Connecticut home, as an American citizen, Ives was quite familiar

21
Ives and Sinclair (Score)
 Tropp 8
with the concept of war. In a sense, he too was at war. In almost every aspect of his life, he had

voices shouting at him and telling him what to do. So many things about Ives were and are still

hidden from the public. He was reportedly terrified of being photographed, and an image of him

did not appear in the program for the premiere for Three Places in New England.22 He was very

private in his personal life as well, never getting too egotistical or praising himself. He was

constantly worried about the public’s perception of him, and continuously kept himself shrouded

from the public. He was reportedly embarrassed by his height, standing at five feet and nine

inches, because his wife, Harmony, was slightly taller and frequently wore heels or other shoes

with large soles.23 From all accounts, Ives seemed to be quite the insecure person. Both in music

and himself, Charles Ives was reserved and often sent out new pieces in unusual ways, so as to

not have to put himself out into the world to advertise.24

It goes without saying that Ives was at war with himself his entire life. Whether it was his

fight to hide his Diabetes diagnosis, his struggle to have his music and compositional style heard

throughout his time at Yale, or his familial expectations, Charles Ives had a lot going on inside

his head.25 This is represented rather beautifully through the second movement of his Three

Places in New England suite, “Putnam’s Camp.” The orchestra comes alive and is at war with

itself, strikingly similar to Charles Ives. He wrote this piece not only as a corroboration of

unused works for his late uncle’s opera, or as a filler movement for his suite as second

movements often are, but instead as a manifestation of his emotions. For his entire life, Ives was

pushed back and forth, being told to do things one way or the other, and having to decide

whether to suppress or let free his own opinions and wants.

22
Budiansky, 4
23
Budiansky, 5
24
Paul, 7
25
Paul, 9
 Tropp 9
Through his compositions, Charles Ives was able to create uniquely American music,

synthesizing jazz, folk songs, and European traditions of composition to create thematic works

that hold up over a century later. In “Putnam’s Camp,” he created a sensation of an ensemble at

war with itself, pulling music from just something to be listened to to something to be interacted

with. He successfully caused audiences to feel tension within the ensemble that wasn’t

harmonically based, instead focusing on rhythms and creating the feeling of competing time

signatures. Ives is now looked upon as a father of the American classical movement. He did what

America does best– represent itself.26 Through synthesizing styles and previously-written

compositions, he represented the United States’ association with being a ‘mixing pot.’ With his

use of percussion, he harkened to the wars that won the country its independence and also tore it

apart. He showed all of the countless ways that the United States of America is unique, all while

ensuring that his own struggles were on display as well. The work of Charles Ives will long live

as a shining representation of what the United States represents in this world.

26
Budiansky
 Tropp 10
Bibliography
Budiansky, Stephen. Mad Music: Charles Ives, the Nostalgic Rebel. Lebanon: University Press
of New England, 2014. Accessed December 10, 2022. ProQuest Ebook Central.

Garrett, Charles Hiroshi. Struggling to Define a Nation: American Music and the Twentieth
Century. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008.
https://hdl.handle.net/2027/heb31680.0001.001. EPUB.

Humphreys, David. An Essay on the Life of the Honourable Major-General Israel Putnam.
Indianapolis, IN: Liberty Fund, Incorporated, 2000. Accessed December 10, 2022.
ProQuest Ebook Central.

"Ives, Charles Edward." In Who's Who in the Twentieth Century, edited by Market House Books.
: Oxford University Press, 1999.
https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780192800916.001.0001/acref-97
80192800916-e-851.

Ives, Charles, and James B. Sinclair. “Three Places in New England : a New England
Symphony : First Orchestral Set.” Bryn Mawr: Mercury Music Corp. ; T. Presser Co.,
sole representative, 1976.

Kint, Thomas. Charles Ives and the Lied: Modelling in Ives’s Early German Song Repertory,
Music and Letters, Volume 102, Issue 4, November 2021, Pages 783–810,
https://doi.org/10.1093/ml/gcab049.

"Parker, Horatio William." In The Oxford Dictionary of Music, edited by Kennedy, Joyce,
Michael Kennedy, and Tim Rutherford-Johnson. : Oxford University Press, 2012.
https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199578108.001.0001/acref-97
80199578108-e-6834.

Paul, David C.. Charles Ives in the Mirror : American Histories of an Iconic Composer.
Baltimore: University of Illinois Press, 2013. Accessed December 11, 2022. ProQuest
Ebook Central.

Sinclair, James B. “Appendix 1: Ives’s Work-Lists.” In Descriptive Catalogue of the Music of

Charles Ives, 633–46. Yale University Press, 1999.
https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt2250wtd.20.

Taruskin, Richard and Christopher Howard Gibbs. The Oxford History of Western Music College
ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013.