Chester Edward Ide

Chester Edward Ide (June 13, 1877 – March 18, 1944) was an American composer and music teacher, primarily known for his operettas, some major instrumental works, and his participatory teaching methods.

Biography Childhood and musical training

Chester Edward Ide was born on June 13, 1877, in Springfield, Illinois, to a prominent local family.

Ide began piano lessons at the age of 7. There he studied with Ebenezer Prout, Frederick Corder, and then returned to Illinois in 1900, ). It was published by the Lakeside Press of Chicago, Illinois. About half of the poems were reprints of poems by well-known 19th century English poets, and about half were presumably his own, although none have attributions. Many of the poems were later used in his songs, notably his cycle "Autumn Songs".

March 17, 1904, was the first known public performance of Ide's music, at a concert by the Theodore Thomas Orchestra (forerunner of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra) They were divorced probably sometime between 1909 and 1915. Ide wrote "Waltz to Margaret", his first wife, copyright 1909, to be performed "very slowly and wistfully". His second marriage was to Vella Martin, of Galesburg, Illinois. They had one daughter: Elfrid Ide (married name Windsor).

Mid-late career

Ide's work began to attract notice on the East Coast. In 1908 he had a work performed in New York City at the Institute of Musical Art (now the Juilliard School). The work was "Melody for Violin"; it was performed by Archule Sheasby, violin, and Edith Longstreet, piano. Ide moved there sometime between 1913 and 1915. and taught at the Third Street Music School Settlement in the city. and The folk-song way to harmony, co-written with Seymour, also published in 1918 by G. Schirmer. In the early 1930s, during the Great Depression, he was laid off from his teaching position. and had found work as a music teacher at the Edgewood School. It was described as a "private school of progressive trend, which closed in 1956", and was located in Rock Ridge, Connecticut. His works received several local performances during this time, In 1938, Ide started a school orchestra at Edgewood, which he conducted, and for which he often composed. On May 10, 1944, the Edgewood School Orchestra made private recordings of four of his compositions in the studio of radio station WSRR in Stamford, Connecticut. At the recital, he performed the sonata, which he had premiered in 1934. The works performed included Ide's Little Suite for Piano, and several songs, including a small cycle entitled "Three Poems of Robert Louis Stevenson". The performance was taped. In 1983, Ide's "Evening Solitude" and "Serenade" (arranged by John Kirkpatrick) were performed at Carnegie Hall. The performers were Doriot Anthony Dwyer, flute, and Martin Amlin, piano.

The last known performance of Ide's works was in November 1990, at a "Little Noon Music" concert (part of a series at the Second Congregational Church in Greenwich) celebrating Greenwich's 350th anniversary. His Piano Sonata in A was performed by pianist Lowell Lacey.

Manuscripts and catalog of works

In 1976, Ide's manuscripts were placed in two repositories: the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, collection at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts contains a copy. John Kirkpatrick and Ide's daughter Elfrid did much of the research and preparation for its publication, Ide's daughter Elfrid stated that her father was "very much interested in ethnic and folk music." He often used ethnic melodies in his compositions for his student ensembles.

Teaching philosophy

It was in New York City that he seemed to have developed his theory of music education, which he used in later years teaching in New England schools. Ide had his young students take part in musical activities before getting much training in theory. In imitation of the ancient Greeks, he emphasized three things in music training: rhapsodizing (improvising or composing on the spot), sight-reading, and the ability to accompany (especially requiring a sense of harmony). His approach also included the idea of "total theater", which centers on creative and educational audience participation. He made use of ethnic and folk melodies in his theory training, especially as an aid to student composition. Together, these ideas formed the foundation of his music teaching (and music theater compositional) practices.

Selected works Orchestral works

Idyllic dances Symphony in A Minor

Operas

Osiris Romany Rose

Children's operettas

Ali Baba Hansel and Gretel The Magic Melody The Moon Maiden The Pied Piper Prince Prigio Rag's Christmas Wooden Soldiers

Chamber works

Airs for Saw and Piano (for viola and piano) A dream (piano and two strings)

Solo piano works

Early Lagnon; A Morning Ride Etude for piano Little Suite Sonata in A Transatlantion (a set of two pieces: Evening Solitude, and The Serenade)

Song cycles

Autumn Songs (for soprano and orchestra) Three Poems of Robert Louis Stevenson Songs of Innocence

Songs

Boat song Celia in the Snow Fairy Boat Song Good for You Lovers of the Wild Names Song of Love and Death Spring song. What a day!

Other works for children

Children's Christmas March (for children's orchestra) Bed in summer (song) Pavan (string quartet or chamber ensemble)