Kjos String OrchestraGrade 4

Full Conductor ScoreSO260F

$7.00

Neil A. Kjos Music Company • Publisher

Richard Stephan

GreensleevesVariationsGreensleevesVariations

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SO260

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The ComposerRichard Stephan earned degrees from the State University of New York at

Fredonia and the Eastman School of Music, with advanced work at the Universityof Buffalo and Brigham Young University. He taught instrumental music in thepublic schools of Buffalo and was an orchestra director and Coordinator of Musicin the Hamburg, New York, schools for thirteen years. In 1968, Mr. Stephan joinedthe faculty of the Crane School of Music, S.U.N.Y. at Potsdam, where he was thesymphony orchestra conductor and string education professor for the followingthirty-two years.

Mr. Stephan has appeared as a guest conductor/clinician in New York, Ohio,Utah, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, and Ontario, Canada. He conducted theopening ceremonies of the 1980 Winter Olympics and in 1984 was honored witha Fulbright Senior Scholar Award to lecture and conduct in Australia. His Fanfare

and Frippery was the 1986 National School Orchestra Association Composition Contest winner and he has over threedozen published works for string, full, and studio orchestra to his credit. Since his retirement from teaching in 2000,Mr. Stephan has continued his writing and guest conducting.

The CompositionI have always had a deep regard and admiration for the melody that we now know as “Greensleeves.” Using this

as a basis for a set of variations was quite attractive to me. However, after much thought and with respect for thebeauty of this time-honored tune, I decided to base the variations on the implied harmonic structure of the piecerather than on the melody.

The original melodic presentation should grow from the simplicity of the legato celli statement to the full,balanced harmonization at measure 9. Both the theme and the first variation are best served with long, smoothbowing. The fermati between variations should be as brief as possible, allowing only enough time to prepare physicallyand mentally for the next tempo and style.

The odd-numbered variations (with the exception of the last one) are generally in a slow tempo and are to beplayed with attention to beauty of tone and sensitivity to phrasing. The even-numbered variations (except VariationIV) need to be approached with both vigorous, firm bowing that digs well into the string, and with strict adherenceto a lively, steady tempo. Pizzicato movements can easily end up racing to the finish. To maintain a steady, unrushedpace in Variation IV, have the students subdivide the beat by counting the “ands” while you conduct the piece in “one.”

A few other details need to be considered, including the delicate staccato on beat two in Variation III; the balancein the second half of Variation V allowing the cello line to predominate; the accents that create the “rhythmicdissonance” in Variation VI; and a controlled ritard spread over three measures returning to the majestic Finale.Although the melody must come through clearly, it is also important that the divisi harmony voices are balancedproperly to obtain the desired richness of texture.

I hope you enjoy!

Instrumentation List (Set C)8 – 1st Violin8 – 2nd Violin5 – Viola 5 – Cello5 – String Bass1 – Full Conductor Score

Additional scores and parts are available.

Learning BankEach student part includes a Learning Bank featuring historical information about “Greensleeves.” The Learning

Bank is also printed on page 3 of this score.

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3

Learning Bank: The History of “Greensleeves”

The song “Greensleeves” has a long and complicated history that spans over 400 years. Originally written by ananonymous English musician during the Renaissance, “Greensleeves” has traveled on an intriguing journey to reachour modern songbook. In the mid 16th century, it was very common for pieces of music to enter popularconsciousness through anonymous sources. Legend has it, however, that the true composer of “Greensleeves” wasKing Henry VIII (1491-1547). Modern scholars know that the English king was an active musician and that he wrotelyrics to the “Greensleeves” melody for his friend Anne Boleyn. Despite this evidence, the theory that the famedHenry VIII wrote “Greensleeves” has been refuted by many music historians, who claim that the Italian-influencedstyle of the piece did not start appearing in England until after Henry’s death. The true origin of one of the most well-known songs in Western culture, therefore, remains a mystery.

Lyrics to “Greensleeves” were first published in 1580, but the song almost certainly had a history in the oraltradition before that date. It was so popular in late Renaissance England that William Shakespeare even mentions itin his play The Merry Wives of Windsor (c.1602). At the end of the 16th century, lute player Francis Cutting wrotevariations on the “Greensleeves” melody (“variations” are musical structures that repeat the same theme with differentmodifications each time). Unlike Richard Stephan’s Greensleeves Variations, which states the melody at the beginning,Cutting’s piece never states the actual melody. Many scholars agree that the tune was so popular at the time that thelute player did not need to play it at all; indeed, he simply needed to imply the melody through his variations for theaudience to understand the musical reference. The large number of humorous parodies of the song from the sameperiod also attest to the ubiquity of “Greensleeves” in late 16th century English life.

In addition to its early history as a love song, “Greensleeves” was first given Christmas-themed lyrics in the mid17th century (“The Old Year Now Away Has Fled”). This new holiday context for the song remains with us to thepresent day. In the 1860s, the Englishman William Chatterton Dix wrote yet another set of lyrics to “Greensleeves”and published his version under the title “What Child Is This?” Dix’s version endures today as a well-loved Christmascarol.

SO260

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SO260

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Peacefully, Smoothly (e = 90)

Violins

Viola

Cello

String Bass

1 1 2 3 4

2

mf

Stately

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

5

6 7 8 mf

9

f

2

Viola cue

mf

end cue

Play

mf f

mf

f

f

f

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Greensleeves VariationsFull Conductor ScoreApprox. time – 8:00 Richard Stephan

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5

SO260

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

10

11

12

13

14

2

Calmly

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

15

dim.

16

mf

17Variation I

18 19

2

dim.

mf

dim.

mf

dim.

mf

dim.

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

20 21 22 23

24

2

pizz.

mf

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SO260

6

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

25

f

26 27

28 29 30

2

f

f

f

f

Aggressively (q = 135)

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

31

32

rit.

33

Var. II

34f 35 36

2

rit.

f

rit.

f

rit.

f

rit.

f

arco

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

37

38 39 40 41 42

2

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7

SO260

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

43 44 45 46 47 48

2

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

49

mp

50

cresc.

51 52

mf

53

mp

54

cresc.

2

mp

cresc.

mf

mp

cresc.

mp

cresc.

mf

mp

cresc.

1st Time Tacit

mp

Play

mf

cresc.

1st Time Tacit Play

mf

1.

2.

Daintily (q = 90)

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

55

56

f

57

58

f

Var. III

59

p 60

2

f

f

p

f

f

p

f

f

p

cresc.

f

f

pizz.

p

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SO260

8

1.

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

61

62

63

64

65

2

2.

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

66

67

68

69

70

2

,

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

71

f

72 73 74 75

dim.

76

2

f

dim.

f

dim.

f

dim.

f

dim.

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9

SO260

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

77

mp

78 79

f

80 81 82

2

mp

f

mp

f

mp

f

mp

f

Lively (h. = 58)

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

83

dim.

84 85

p

poco rit.

86

Var. IV

87 88 pizz.

f

2

dim.

p

poco rit.

pizz.

f

dim.

p

poco rit.

f

pizz.

dim.

p

poco rit.

pizz.

f

dim.

p

arcopoco rit.

pizz.

f

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

89 90 91 92 93 94

2

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SO260

10

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

95

96 97 98 99 100

2

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

101 102 103 104 105 106

2

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

107

108

109

110 111 112

2

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11

SO260

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

113

114 115

116

117

118 arco

p

2

Peacefully (q = 78)

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

119Var. V

120 121

122

123

124

2

arco

p

arco

p

p

arco

p

(pizz.)

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

125

126

127

128 129 130

2

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SO260

12

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

131

132 133

134

135

mf 136

2

mf

mf

mf

mf

1.

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

137 138139

140 141 142

2

2.Vigorously (In One: h. = 60)

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

143

144

rit.

145pp

146

147

Var. VI

f

148

2

rit.

pp

f

rit.

pp

f

rit.

pp

f

rit.

pp

arco f

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13

SO260

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

149 simile

150 151 152

153

154

2

simile

simile

simile simile

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

155

156

157

158

159 160

2

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

161

162

163

164 165 166

2

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SO260

14

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

167

168

169 170 171

172

2

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

173

174 simile 175 176 177 178

2

simile simile

simile

simile

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

179

180

181

182

183 184 ,

mf

2 ,

mf

,

mf

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15

SO260

Joyfully (in the same tempo)

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

185Var. VII

186 187

188

189

190

2

mf

div. unis.

mf

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

191

cresc.

192 193

fp

194

mf

195

2 cresc.

fp

mf

cresc.

fp

mf

cresc.

fp

mf

cresc.

fp

mf

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

196

197

198

199

200

2

,

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SO260

16

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

201

202 203

204 205

2

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

206

207 208

209 210

2

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

211

212

213

214

rit.

215

2

rit.

div.

rit.

rit.

div. unis.

rit.

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17

SO260

Majestically (q = 80)

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

216

div.217

Finale

ff

218 219 220

2

unis.

ff

ff

div.

ff

ff

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

221 222

223dim.

224

225

unis.

p 226

2

dim.

p

dim.

p

dim.

unis. p

dim.

p

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

227

228

229

230

231

232

2

pizz.

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SO260

18

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

233

mf

gradual cresc.

234 235

236

237

238

2

mf

gradual cresc.

div.

unis.

mf

gradual cresc.

mf

gradual cresc.

arco

mf

gradual cresc.

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

239

240

f div. 241

ff

242 243

2

f div.

ff

f div.

ff

f

ff

f

ff

Vlns.

Vla.

Cello

Str. Bass

1

244 245 246 247

molto rit.

248

2

molto rit.

unis.

molto rit.

div.

molto rit.

molto rit.

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