This is the first volume of a new series dedicated to the music of Charles Ives, performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and it's principal conductor Sir Andrew Davis. An amateur genius of avant-garde composing who experimented with groundbreaking techniques years ahead of their time, the American composer started out with more conventional works - as shown by the two early symphonies recorded here. Exclusive to Chandos, Sir Andrew Davis is the conductor in many of Chandos' best-selling recordings and has already recorded two highly praised albums with the Melbourne Symphony.