For the most hardcore fans of
Charles Ives, this Naxos disc by
James Sinclair and the
Malmö Symphony will be attractive because it contains several never before recorded pieces and several other rarely recorded pieces. Among the never before recorded works are The General Slocum, a musical depiction of a maritime disaster, and the Overture in G minor. Among the rarely recorded works is the Yale-Princeton Football Game. Aside from the thrill of the new for
Ives fans, though, there is not much to recommend this release.
Sinclair is an able conductor, and he seems to have a feel for
Ives music, but he is unable to communicate his feeling to the Swedish musicians, and the result is dutiful but wholly uninspired playing. Even for
Ives fans, the thrill of the new will be muted by the by-the-numbers classicism of the Overture and the sketchy modernism of The General Slocum. Most listeners would probably rather have all four movements of the New England Holiday Symphony than the three included here. Recorded in clear but oddly empty sound, this disc will be compulsory for some listeners, but negligible for others.