SKU: PR.110418370

ISBN 9781491135075. UPC: 680160686247.

Composed as an organ solo by the 17-year-old Ives for his own performance purposes, the beloved Variations on America is a treat for any occasion, whether a holiday concert, a serious recital, or other special event. Danny Holt’s transcription for Piano, Four Hands adds a dazzling new option to play at home or on stage, taking best advantage of Ives’ tremendous contrasts in color, dynamics, and texture.
Composed when Charles Ives was a teenager, Variations on “America” is both a convenient introduction to Ives’ body of work, and an early example of his iconoclastic musical voice and creative genius. Just a few years after composing this piece, Ives would leave home to study music at Yale. But until then he had been taught by his father, George (who had been a bandmaster in the Civil War). George subjected the young Ives to experiments such as singing a song in one key while being accompanied in another, or arranging for two marching bands to converge on a town center, with the resulting cacophony that ensued.The Variations exemplifies an early period of experimentation in Ives’ work, spurred on by the unusual pedagogy of his father. The piece is particularly notable for its use of bitonality in the two interludes, subtly foreshadowing more well-known examples by Stravinsky, Bartók, and others by approximately two decades.The bitonal interludes were so ahead of their time, in fact, they were omitted from the first copy that was submitted to a publisher in 1892. (Alas, the piece was rejected even despite these “shocking” elements having been left out, and it wasn’t published until more than five decades later.) There is some ambiguity about when exactly Ives added the interludes into his manuscript copy, though ample evidence suggests he had performed the piece with the interludes around the time he notated the piece in 1891-92. In any case, in light of this piece and his other polytonal explorations from the last decade of the 19th century, it seems fair to give Ives credit for being a pioneer in this area!This arrangement for Piano, Four Hands, closely follows Ives’ original version for organ, setting aside William Schuman’s popular adaptation for symphony orchestra and William Rhoads’ band transcription of the Schuman orchestration. Pianists will find that the piece translates well to the instrument. Ideally, the choreography and logistics of elbow-to-elbow four-hands playing approximates the wild joy one gets from watching an organist play the piece (e.g., the elaborate pedal part in the final variation).In preparing this publication, attention was paid to details in the dual Critical Editions (Presser 443-41003) of both Ives’ manuscript edition and the 1949 publication edited by organist E. Power Biggs (who is credited with discovering what had been a long-lost, forgotten work.) But as with much of Ives’ output, attempting to create a true ‘urtext’ score is a futile endeavor, and especially with a piece such as this one – in which Ives incorporated improvisation in live performance – seems unnecessary anyhow. True die-hards are of course encouraged to consult the critical editions and even find inspiration in the orchestrated version. Generally, performers are advised to be wild, have fun, and not to be too rigid in their interpretive choices.Dynamics in this arrangement mostly follow the organ score closely. Pianists will use good judgment about pedaling throughout, which should be straightforward and intuitive. Courtesy accidentals have been provided frequently – without parentheses – balancing the need for extra clarity in the context of Ives’ murky musical language, and a desire to avoid unnecessary clutter.A few notes that might inform interpretive decisions:mm. 15-16: There are inconsistencies here between Ives’ original manuscript and the 1949 Biggs edition, regarding the top voice in m. 15, beat 3 (C# vs. Cn) and m. 16 (D Major vs. D Minor).mm. 76-84 & 143-146: In both Interludes, Ives emphatically notates extreme dynamic contrast, in order to highlight the bitonality. Although it may seem counterintuitive (or even a misprint, as has apparently been misconstrued by some), performers are urged to follow the composer’s marking!m. 109: Two-note slurs have been added here for clarity and consistency with other similar passages, though they do not appear in either the original manuscript or Biggs.m. 112: The last two eighth notes of Primo appear as 16ths in the original manuscript.mm. 183-186: The original manuscript has a slightly different bass line.mm. 184 & 186: Primo gestures have been re-written to be slightly more idiomatic for Piano, Four Hands.m. 186: The breath mark at the end of this bar does not appear in either the manuscript or Biggs, but is an editorial suggestion – aside from being appropriately dramatic, it will indeed be necessary in a reverberant hall!I would like to thank Steven Vanhauwaert, the other half of my piano duo, 4handsLA, for his input on early drafts of this arrangement.— Danny Holt, April 2022.

SKU: BT.DHP-1196080-010

English-German-French-Dutch.

This work for soprano and concert band was originally written for a special occasion: the wedding of one of the composer’s children. It therefore matches another piece written for a similar occasion “I Shall Love But Thee”. The lyrics are from the book Respiro Neve by the internationally renowned art photographer Luca Artioli who possesses poetic talent as well. The first movement is stately and serene as where the contrasting allegro is much more dynamic and cheerful, requiring the solid high register of the singer. The conclusion is festive and radiant, partly thanks to the contribution of a piccolo trumpet! This work is a wonderful addition to the bandrepertoire wanting to perform with an excellent vocal soloist!

Deze compositie voor sopraan en kamerorkest is net als Van der Roosts eerdere werk I Shall Love But Thee oorspronkelijk geschreven voor een speciale gelegenheid: het huwelijk van een van de kinderen van de componist. De teksten komen uit het boek Respiro Neve van de internationaal gerenommeerde kunstfotograaf Luca Artioli, die ook poëtische talenten heeft. Het eerste deel is statig en sereen: het contrasterende allegro is veel dynamischer en opgewekter en vergt heel wat van de soliste, vooral in het hoge register. Het slot is feestelijk en stralend, mede dankzij de inbreng van de piccolotrompet. Dit werk is een aanwinst voor het repertoire van elk goed orkest datmet een uitstekende soliste wil/kan concerteren!

Dieses Werk für Sopran und Blasorchester wurde ursprünglich für einen besonderen Anlass geschrieben: die Hochzeit eines der Kinder des Komponisten. Es passt daher zu einem anderen Stück, das für einen ähnlichen Anlass komponiert wurde: I Shall Love But Thee. Die Texte stammen aus dem Buch Respiro Neve des international renommierten Kunstfotografen Luca Artioli der auch poetisches Talent besitzt. Der erste Satz ist würdevoll und ruhig, wohingegen das gegensätzliche Allegro viel dynamischer und fröhlicher ist und von der Sängerin ein solides hohes Register erfordert. Der Schluss ist festlich und strahlend, auch durch die Verwendung der Piccolotrompete! DiesesWerk ist eine wunderbare Ergänzung zum Repertoire für Blasorchester, die mit einer hervorragenden Gesangssolistin auftreten möchten!

Cette œuvre pour soprano et orchestre d’harmonie fut écrite, l’origine, pour une occasion bien spéciale : le mariage d’un des enfants du compositeur. Elle s’apparente ainsi une autre pièce écrite pour une occasion semblable, I Shall Love But Thee. Les paroles sont tirées du livre Respiro Neve de Luca Artioli, photographe artistique de renommée internationale qui jouit également d’un talent poétique. Le premier mouvement est majestueux et serein, tandis que l’allegro, très contrasté, est bien plus dynamique et joyeux, et exige un solide registre aigu de la part de la chanteuse. La conclusion est festive et éclatante, en partie gr ce la présence d’une trompettepiccolo. Cette pièce forme ainsi une merveilleuse option pour tout bon orchestre désireux de se produire avec une excellente soliste !