Charles Ives
«Central Park in the Dark»

... a picture–in-sounds of the sounds of nature and of happenings that man would hear some thirty or so years ago (before the combastion engine and radio monopolized the earth and air), when sitting on a bench in Central Park on a hot summer night. The strings represent the night sounds and silent darkness – interrupted by sounds [the rest of the orchestra] from the casino over the pond – of street singers coming up from the [Columbus] Circle singing, in spots, the tunes of those days – of some «night owls» from Healy’s whistling the latest [hit] or the Freshman March – of the «occasional elevated», a street parade, or a «break-down» in the distance – of newsboys crying «uxtries» [ «Extra!»] – of pianolas having a ragtime war in the apartment house «over the garden wall», a street car and a street band join in the chorus – a fire engine, a cab horse runs away, lands «over the fence and out», the wayfarers shout – again the darkness is heard – an echo over the pond – and we walk home.

Charles Ives
cited by Victor Ledin, 1976.