Ives described himself as a “Sunday composer.” For much of his life, he worked as a successful insurance agent, and his compositional activities were no more than an exotic hobby. When he was 52, in 1926, he virtually gave up his hobby altogether, because he felt his works provoked too many daring thoughts – which is to say they remained unapproachable for the audience. It is an objective fact though that Ives was among the first to experiment with microtones, and in combining musical textures with different tempos. Central Park in the Dark is awash with originality. It was completed in 1907, and comprises of two layers: one is a soft background, that evokes the peace of the night, in slow, almost nocturne tempo. Above all this we hear fragments of vulgar musical material. The effect is of walking in the park and receiving an impressionistic portrait of the surrounding entertainment. At the end of the work though, it is the music of the night that prevails.

Many years passed during Ives's lifetime, when none of his music was performed. Just before his death in 1954, he experienced a reawakening of interest in some of his works. These days “Central Park” or “The Unanswered Question” are beginning, if not to achieve full popularity, then at least to becoming repertoire pieces among the larger orchestras.