Mutanza
Subtitle: Symphonic Variations for Band
General Info
Year: 1981
Duration: c. 14:40
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Jenson Publications
Cost: Score and Parts - Out of print
Instrumentation
Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II (II doubling English Horn)
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contra Alto Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III-IV
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III-IV
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion, including:
- Bass Drum
- Bells
- Bongos
- Chimes
- Crash Cymbals
- Marimba
- Snare Drum
- Suspended Cymbal
- Tambourine
- Temple Blocks
- Triangle
- Xylophone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Mutanza, a 16th century Italian term for variation, has been described as “a large-scale, elaborately conceived work, composed of a rich-textured theme and five widely contrasted variations.” Curnow dedicated this challenging score to his wife in 1979; in 1980 it won the prestigious ABA/Ostwald Award.
The opening 11-note theme (played by horns and euphoniums in the second bar and by trumpets one bar later), provides the material for each of the five variations. These are entitled:
• Theme — Andante brilliante ma Maestoso
• Variation I — Allegro con brio
• Variation II — Rubato con espressivo
• Variation Ill — Allegro spiritoso
• Variation IV — Andante moderate e teneramente
• Variation V — Allegro moderato e Maestoso
- Program Note note by composer and Joseph Kreines
Awards
- ABA/Ostwald Award, 1980, winner
Medium
- Audio CD: 1999 Illinois Music Educators Association (IMEA) All-State and Honors Bands (David Drillinger, and Lowell Graham, conductors) 1999
State Ratings
- Iowa: V
- Kansas: VI
- Louisiana: IV
- Michigan: Senior High AA
- North Carolina: VI
- New York: Concert Band VI
- South Carolina: VI
- Tennessee: VI
- Virginia: VI
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Sacramento (Calif.) Symphonic Winds (Tim Smith conductor) – 13 October 2019
- Irish Symphonic Wind Orchestra (Dublin) (Liam Daly, conductor) – 19 July 2017 - WASBE Conference (Utrecht, Netherlands)
- Valparaiso (Ind.) University Chamber Concert Band – 2013
Works for Winds by This Composer
Adaptable Music
- Amber Waves of Grain (Flex instrumentation) (1994)
- Canticum (Flex instrumentation) (1988/2011)
- Fanfare and Flourishes (Flex instrumentation) (1995/2013)
- Korean Folk Rhapsody (Flex instrumentation) (1988/2011)
- Nathan Hale Trilogy (Flex instrumentation) (1990/2013)
- Renaissance Suite (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (c.1551/1983/2016)
- Valdres (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1904/1985/2015)
All Wind Works
- African Sketches (1992)
- Album for the Young (Op. 39) (as arranger) (1878/2007)
- Amber Waves of Grain (1994)
- Amber Waves of Grain (Flex instrumentation) (1994)
- Appalachian Dances (2008)
- Apple Island Legend (1997)
- Beyond the Stars
- Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair (as arranger) (1985)
- Blazon (1997)
- Bridge of the Gods (2012)
- Canadian Sketches (1996)
- Canterbury Coronation (1996)
- Canticle at Christmastide (2006)
- Canticle of the Creatures (1984)
- Canticum (Flex instrumentation) (1988/2011)
- The Carnival of the Animals (as arranger) (1886/2008)
- Celebration Fanfare
- Celebration (1994)
- Ceremonial Flourishes (1988)
- Chinese Folk Fantasy (2013)
- Christmas Classics (1993)
- Christmas Fancies (2000)
- Christmas Flourish, A (1998)
- Christmas Prelude (as arranger) (1989)
- Christmas Travelogue (as arranger)
- Classical Suite for Piano and Band (as arranger) (2006)
- Concertino for Tuba and Band (1978/2001)
- Concertpiece (1990)
- Concertpiece for Clarinet, Winds and Percussion (1990)
- Dance Episodes (2006)
- Day at the Circus, A (1998)
- Day at the Museum, A (1997)
- Day in Space, A
- Dialogues for Saxophone Quartet, Winds and Percussion (2005)
- Dimensions of Seven
- Dublin Sketches
- Fanfare and Flourishes (1995)
- Fanfare and Flourishes (Flex instrumentation) (1995/2013)
- Fanfare for Christmas (2004)
- Fanfare for Spartacus (1996)
- Fanfare Prelude: "O God, Our Help in Ages Past" (1999)
- Fanfare Prelude on "God of Our Fathers" (1876/1983)
- Fanfare Prelude on "Joy to the World" (1985)
- Fantasia di Falcone
- Fantasy on a Colonial Air
- Festive Fanfare for the Holidays (2006)
- Festivity (1993)
- Festivo Fantastico (1998)
- Fiddle Tunes (as arranger) (2002)
- Finale for a Winter Festival (2004)
- Folk Dances (as arranger (1942/2000)
- Freedom Road (1994)
- Freedom's Song (2009)
- French Christmas Carol Fantasy (1989)
- Golliwog's Cakewalk (as arranger)
- Guadalcanal March (as arranger) (1952/1989)
- Heroic Tribute (2006)
- Illini Fantasy (2006)
- In Storm and Sunshine (as arranger) (1884/1986)
- In the Valley of the Sun (2013)
- International Christmas Salute (1996)
- Inventions from the Sacred Harp (2005)
- Irish Legends (1994)
- Journey (2009)
- Jubilee (2012)
- Kentucky Kaleidoscope
- Korean Folk Rhapsody (1988)
- Korean Folk Rhapsody (Flex instrumentation) (1988/2011)
- Land of Tomorrow (2010)
- Lion of Lucerne (1986)
- Lone Star Celebration (1995)
- Megaforce (1997)
- Midway March (as arranger)
- Moment in Time, A
- Mutanza (1981)
- Nathan Hale Trilogy (1990)
- Nathan Hale Trilogy (Flex instrumentation) (1990/2013)
- Nexus (2015)
- Nulli Secundus (Curnow)
- Nutcracker Suite (as arranger) (1891/1987)
- Overture to a Winter Festival (1995)
- Peter and the Wolf (as arranger) (1936/1986)
- Praetorius Variations
- Prelude and Celebration (1996)
- Prelude on a Hymn of Praise (1996)
- Prelude on Lobe Den Herren (1982/1997)
- The Promise of Living (as arranger) (1954/2012)
- Quintessence
- Rejouissance (1988)
- Renaissance Festival (as arranger) (2008)
- Renaissance Suite (as arranger) (c.1551/1983)
- Renaissance Suite (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (c.1551/1983/2016)
- Rhapsody for Euphonium and Band (1978/1999)
- Rhapsody on American Shaped Note Melodies (1996)
- Romanza (2017)
- Russian Christmas Music (as arranger) (1944/1990)
- Russian Folk Fantasy (1992)
- Sea to Shining Sea (2006)
- Seacliffe Overture (1983)
- Selections from "Slavonic Dances," Op. 46 (as transcriber) (1878/)
- Selections from "Suite of Old American Dances" (as arranger) (1950/2005)
- Selections from Walt Disney's "Fantasia" (1992)
- Slavonic Dances, The (as transcriber)
- Songs of the West (as arranger) (1907/1986)
- The Sorcerer's Apprentice (as arranger) (1897)
- Sovereign Variants
- Spirit of the Pioneers (2007)
- Suite from "Messiah" (as transcriber) (1741/1989)
- Suncatcher (2000)
- Symphonic Chorale for Band (1989)
- Symphonic Suite from "The Right Stuff" (as arranger) (1983/1984)
- Symphonic Triptych (1978)
- Symphonic Variants (1998)
- Three Colonial Ballads (as arranger)
- The Three Drummers (2004)
- Toward the Sunrising (1999)
- Turkish March (as arranger) (1809/2001)
- Valdres (arr Curnow) (as arranger) (1904/1985/2016)
- Valdres (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1904/1985/2015)
- Vanguard (2003)
- Voluntary on Old Hundreth (as transcriber) (/2000)
- A Wexford Reverie (as arranger) (2005)
- When the Morning Stars Sang (2005)
- Where Never Lark or Eagle Flew (1993)
- Winds of Change
Resources
- Curnow, J. (1981). Mutanza: Symphonic Variations for Band [score]. Jenson Publications: [U.S.A.].
- Smith, Norman E. (2002). Program Notes for Band. Chicago: GIA Publications, pp. 152.