Variations on "America"

Charles Ives

Charles Ives (orchestrated by William Schuman, transcribed by William Rhoads)

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.