"Ranging from tender sentiment to savage chaos, the music of early 20th-century composer Charles Ives explores an essentially American riddle: how can we survive the relentless assault of our own success? It was an enigma Ives embodied himself. He believed that we should all be brave enough to go it alone--yet he earned his living in insurance! In this DVD, Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony unwrap the layers of Ives' to reveal a surprising musical portrait of New England. The four movements journey across the terrain of the seasons. From the intimacy of the winter hearth to the explosive concussion of the 4th of July, discover the insights Ives liberates in his music's confrontational crunch. Join Michael Tilson Thomas as he, the San Francisco Symphony, and Charles Ives belt it out over truth, beauty and the American way"-- Container.

Special features include: full-length concert performance of Ives's Holidays symphony by the San Francisco Symphony.