Fantasy Variations (Ito)
Subtitle: For Euphonium and Band
General Info
Year: 1990 / 2004 / 2012
Duration: c. 9:00
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Ito Music
Cost: Score and Parts - $150.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
Solo euphonium
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe
Bassoon
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II-III
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion, including:
- Bass Drum
- Cymbals
- Glockenspiel
- Snare Drum
- Suspended Cymbal
- Tambourine
- Triangle
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Fantasy Variations for euphonium and band is a beautiful solo, essentially a concerto, in the Japanese style, dedicated to Toro Miura. Originally written for euphonium with piano accompaniment, it was transcribed for band only recently.
- Program note by William V. Johnson
Fantasy Variations for Euphonium and Band was commissioned by Toru Miura. The premiere performance was given on 11 August 1990 by Mr. Miura and the Sapporo Wind Band, conducted by Katsuhiro Sugawara, at the World Euphonium and Tuba Conference held in Sapporo.
This variations is based on an Ainu love song called Yaisamanina. However, the original form of the melody hardly appears, nor is it music in Ainu style. The variations are rather unusual in that each variation is in a single musical form, The first variation is a chaconne, the second is a rondo, followed by the theme (aria), and the third is a fugue.
Mr. Miura asked me to write a piece that was "pop, light mood, not demanding, effective, and accessible...". I did my best to write a pop piece. However, I was surprised when I read the letter again later: He actually wrote, "neither pop nor light mood...".
- Program note adapted from composer
Media
- Audio: Toke Civic Wind Orchestra (Hiroyuki Kayo, conductor; Shoichiro Hokazono, euphonium)
- Audio CD: Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra (Douglas Bostock, conductor; Brian L. Bowman, euphonium) - 2002
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, Wash.) Wind Ensemble (Minna Stelzner, conductor; William Lum, euphonium) - 2 December 2022
- Washington State University (Pullman) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Danh Pham, conductor; Joshua Thomson, euphonium) - 17 November 2021
- Lone Star Youth Winds (Dallas, Tex.) (Jeff Bradford, conductor; Christopher Finch, euphonium) – 14 May 2017
- San Luis Obispo Wind Orchestra (William V. Johnson, conductor, Neil Jansen, euphonium) - 11 May 2013
- Tokyo (Japan) Kosei Wind Orchestra (Douglas Bostock, conductor; Brian Bowman, euphonium) – 18 December 2002 (2002 Midwest Clinic)
Works for Winds by This Composer
- Adagio for Band (2006)
- A la Suite Classique (1996)
- As Time Is Passing On (2000)
- Carmen Fantasy (as arranger) (1875/2009)
- Chaconne (as arranger) (c.1720/1987/2017)
- Chorale Fantasia (2002)
- Choral Fantasy. See: Chorale Fantasia
- Cioccolata d'amore
- Concertino for piano and band (Ito) (2007)
- Concerto for Tsugaru-Shamisen and Band (2013)
- Diferencias on an Old Spanish Song (2020)
- Evocation (Ito)
- Fanfares for National Athletic Meet at Fukushima
- Fantasia Classica (1992)
- Fantasia on a Bach Chorale Prelude (2002/2013)
- Fantasy Variations (2004/2012)
- Festal Ballade for Band (2016)
- Festal Scenes (1986)
- Festeggiamo e Cantiamo, Musica Festiva per Banda
- First Suite in E-flat (as editor) (1909/2011)
- Fuji, Symphonic Sketch for Band (1992)
- Funa-Uta (1993/1999)
- Furusato (as arranger) (1914/2011)
- Gloriosa ("Gururiyoza") (1990/2013)
- Go For Broke (2000)
- Hamamatsu Overture
- Hanyang Forever! (2010)
- Kokiriko alla Marcia (1999)
- La Follia nel Bosco (2013)
- La Vita (1998)
- Liturgia Sinfonica
- Maiko Spring March
- March on Eight Folk Tunes (2024)
- March 'Over the Century'
- March 'Over the Wind'
- March 'The Three Tops Hill'
- March, Wind & Sun
- Meguru Kisetsu ni
- Melodies for Wind Ensemble
- Moonlight Dragon (2012)
- Morning Songs in Hiroshima (2009)
- Mt. Fuji March (2003)
- On the March (1978/1991)
- Pacem et gloriam pro nobis
- Peace, Peace, so Sing the Birds (2018)
- Piano Concerto (Ito)
- The Planets
- Preludio Celebrativo
- Progress
- Rag-Time-March
- Rapsodia di Toyama
- Rapsodia Formosa (1992)
- Remembrance II
- Ryukuan Fantasy for Band (1997/1998/2013)
- Ryukuan Fantasy for Saxophone Quartet (1997/1999)
- The Seashell Song (2012)
- Second Suite in F (as editor) (1911/1922/2012)
- Sinfonia Singaporiana (2005)
- Solo Una Volta! (2013)
- Soma Festival March
- Soma Festival March No.2
- Sonata Classica (1996)
- Tableau
- Taiwanese Posy (2007)
- That Which He Taught Us (2015)
- That Which He Taught Us (Baritone and Band) (2015/2016)
- Time into Music (2018)
- Variations from the Northern Sea (1993)
Resources
- Yasuhide Ito website. Accessed 14 February 2024