Charles Ives was born in Danbury, Connecticut, on October 20, 1874. BachBeer is celebrating the composer’s birthday by giving readers free music.

When he was fourteen, Ives became the youngest salaried church organist in Connecticut. At seventeen, he wrote his “Variations on ‘America'” for organ. This rollicking take on the tune most Americans know as “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” is full of humor, dissonance, and virtuosity–all of which would become hallmarks of the composer’s mature style.

A few years ago, Mags played Ives’s variations in recital. Below you can listen to her performance or download it for free. Enjoy!

 

DOWNLOAD: Mags in recital – Variations on “America”

Variations on “America” by BachBeer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.