Ives 'Variations on America'

[Onebaplayer]

I can't remember where i read this now, but I read that this piece requires a mute. My Wind Ensemble is playing it so I am trying to figure out if there is a part that should be muted. Maybe an orchestral version requires mute but the wind arrangement doesn't? Since it is not marked in my part I will probably not use a mute either way, but it would be nice to know if one was originally intended.

[Robert N. Calkins]

Yes, the part requires mute and fast hands! I had a bass player put the mute in and take it out.

[MartyNeilan]

There is also a section marked "one only" or "solo", but many directors prefer to make it a section soli .

[Onebaplayer]

I have the 'one only' marking, but no mute marking. Is it supposed to be muted starting at the F Major triad and then 16th note runs in F? I don't have the part at home but it sounds like thats the section mentioned.

[Allen]

The band version I played did not call for a tuba mute.

In my opinion, if a part calls for a tuba mute, it is obviously due to a mistake on the composer's part. We can do everyone a favor by ignoring such mistakes.

Cheers,
Allen

[eupher61]

I have no memory of a mute need in the bandstration.

But, it's been a while. Never played the orchestra version.

[Chris Smith]

I played both the band part and the orchestra part this year and if I remember right the orchestra part calls for a mute in the section that in the band part the bassoons play.

[Alex C]

In my opinion, if a part calls for a tuba mute, it is obviously due to a mistake on the composer's part. We can do everyone a favor by ignoring such mistakes.

Well said! Three cheers for good logic.

[windshieldbug]

In my opinion, if a part calls for a tuba mute, it is obviously due to a mistake on the composer's part

I spoke to one such composer, who admitted to me (under oath of secrecy, of course) that they only did it for the sheer visual effect, NOT because they expected it to be heard.

[Onebaplayer]

The question was posed just to clarify, not because I actually planned on using a mute if it had come up that way

[tubeast]

Now that´s funny. We´ll be playing this in band this fall. I´m not that good at Clarke´s, so I figured I better review his studies to do some woodshedding on the last page...

Is somebody out there playing those 16ths runs in one breath ? I figured it was okay to skip a 16th or two for the benefit of a short sniff, as long as it wasn´t the first accented 16th in a group of four...

[Onebaplayer]

I haven't had an issue with needing to leave out any notes. Down tempo for learning may be another issue, but at full tempo the lines are pretty manageable (and really fun)