On the Hunt for Themes and Variations
Our local music teacher’s association has their yearly evaluations in the spring, and in my years of teaching, I have never taught a Theme and Variation. Not once. The quest was well-defined. First, find pieces that have at least 2 variations and include ALL variations. Second, convince some students to enter this category. Most classical selections did not fit the bill due to the high number of variations and my procrastination.
I posted some inquiries on FB groups, glanced through old programs from our state festival, talked with teachers who commonly teach this form, and searched on every music site I could think of. Here is my list.
| Piece | Composer | Book | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classical Variations in F Major | Catherine Rollin | Pathways to Artistry Rep 3 | early intermediate |
| G Major Scale Variations | Catherine Rollin | Pathways to Artistry Rep 3 | early intermediate |
| Variations in G Major | Catherine Rollin | Pathways to Artistry Rep 2 | late beginner |
| 5 Variations on a Happy Theme | Catherine Rollin | Pathways to Artistry Rep 1 | late beginner |
| Frankie and Johnny | Gillock | NO Jazz Styles | Intermediate |
| Theme and Var. on Gute Nacht | Martin Cuellar | Digital-SMPlus | early intermediate |
| American Meleys & Variations | Catherine Rollin | Digital-SMPlus | Intermediate |
| Variations on a Classical Theme | Timothy Brown | In Recltal Volume 2 | early intermediate |
| Sea Chantey | Faber | Lesson Book 3B | late beginner |
| Poetic Theme & Variations | Faber | Repertoire Book 5 | early intermediate |
| Allegretto Variations | Timothy Brown | In Recital Volume 1 | late beginner |
| Variations on an Original Theme | Catherine Rollin | Spotlight on Classical Styles | Intermediate |
| Variations in D Major | Dennis Alexander | Keys to Stylistic Mastery Bk 3 | Intermediate |
| Ah Vous dirai-je, maman | arr. Goldson | Sheet music plus | late beginner |
| Variations on a Feeling | Wynne Anne Rossi | Digital-Sheet Music Now | intermediate |
| La Folia Theme & Variaitions | Alfred Basic 6 | intermediate | |
| Variations on Arkansas Traveler | Mary K. Sallee | Sheet music plus | Intermediate |
| Variations in a minor Theme | Glover | Digital-Sheet Music Now | early intermediate |
| Chopsticks Variations | Robert Vandall | Alfred | early intermediate |
| Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho | Phillip Keveren | Sheet Music Now | intermediate |
| Bow Belinda | Robert Vandall | Sheet Music Direct | intermediate |
| Variations on 3 Blind Mice | John Thompson | Hal Leonard | intermediate |
I left off the list any out of print selections for obvious reasons.
And if you’re wondering, I did convince 2 poor souls to memorize a piece in 4 weeks. The winners were Timothy Brown’s Allegretto Variations and Dennis Alexander’s Variations in D Major, but there are many excellent choices.
Hope this helps!
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