Mutanza

Jim Curnow

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.