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Variations on "America"
Charles Ives (orchestrated by William Schuman, transcribed by William Rhoads)
Contents |
General Info
Year: 1903 / 1968
Duration: c. 7:00
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Theodore Presser Company
Cost: Score and Parts - $95.00 | Score Only - $15.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Eb Soprano Clarinet
Bb Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
Eb Alto Clarinet
Bb Bass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone I-II
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Cornets or Trumpets (in Bb) I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombones I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Percussion I-II-III-IV, including
- Bass Drum
- Castanets
- Cymbal (suspended)
- Glockenspiel
- Snare Drum
- Tambourine
- Timpani
- Triangle
- Xylophone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
This remarkable set, composed when he was about 18, Ives later described as "but a boy's work, partly serious and partly in fun." These variations serve, however, as perhaps the most comprehensive illustration of Ives's youthful sweep of style.
After a snappy figural variation, we hear a sinuous barbership setting, a jaunty European cavalry march, a "midway" polonaise, and a scherzo. As importantly, the set shows his already prodigious ability as a soloist: note, for instance, the pedal passages in the requisitely virtuousic finale, in which is heard too the telltale cross-rhythm of the new ragtime.
In this performance, the two bi-tonal interludes that Ives committed to notation a decade later are revoiced to correspond to the contrasting "shadow" dynamics indicated in E. Power Biggs's 1949 edition for organ.
- Program note from UCLA
Commercial Discography
None discovered thus far.
State Ratings
- Florida: VI --- (The Florida Bandmasters Association denotes this as "significant literature.")
- New York: VI
- South Carolina: VI
Recent Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- UCLA Wind Ensemble (Lawrence R. Sutherland, Jr., conductor) - 7 November 2012
- Metropolitan Winds (Randol A. Bass, conductor) - 10 July 2011
Works for Winds by this Composer
This composer primarily wrote orchestral music. Other transcriptions of his works include:
- A Son of a Gambolier (arr. Elkus)
- Alcotts, The (tr. Elkus)
- Circus Band, The (tr. Elkus)
- Country Band March (tr. Sinclair)
- Decoration Day (tr. Elkus)
- Finale from Symphony No. 2 (tr. Elkus)
- Fugue in C (arr. Sinclair)
- March 6: Here's to Good Old Yale (tr. Elkus)
- Old Home Days (arr. Elkus)
- They are There! (arr. Sinclair)
- Variations on "America" (orch. Schuman, tr. Rhoads)
- Variations on "Jerusalem the Golden" (tr. Brion)
Additional Resources
- Blocker, L., Cramer, R., Corporon, E. ,Lautzenheiser, T., Lisk, E., & Miles, R. (1996). Teaching music through performance in band (Volume One). Chicago, IL: Gia Publications.
