
Newman
JRB Variations piano
OK
FEEL
GOOD
MUSIC
In fourteen variations on a musical theater song by Broadway phenom Jason Robert Brown, "JRB"’s brilliant 11 o’clock number varies not only in typical concert variation manipulations, but also in harmonic language and musical styles—with a few variations designed as nods to the speci c compositional styles of close friends—or to unique characteristics of my very musical family. For JRB-fans like me, "It all fades away but you."
DURATION ca. 20’
FIRST PERFORMANCE March 1, 2022, Madsen Recital Hall, Provo, Utah Blair McMillen, piano
www.jonathannewman.com
OK
fi

ABOUT JRB Variations
FEEL
GOOD
MUSIC
for Blair McMillen
JRB Variations
THEME*
* "It All Fades Away" from The Bridges of Madison County © 2010 by Jason Robert Brown. Used by kind permission of Jason Robert Brown and Semolina Farfalle Music.
3
6
10
13
corr. ed. 2022
legato Rolling Folk Rock Feel ( = ca. 52)
JONATHAN NEWMAN
© Copyright 2021 by Jonathan Newman, OK Feel Good Music (ASCAP) All rights reserved For all countries
2
VAR. 1
L'istesso tempo; Appassionato
16
con Ped.
19
21
23
loco
rit.
25
A tempo
Variation 1
Variation 2
28
3
accel.
VAR. 2
31
Andante, owing ( = 76–80)
legatocon molto pedale
34
cresc.
37
steal time necessary for grace notes
39
4
Variation 2
42
45
49
51
Variation 3
53
56
5
ten.
a tempo
rallentando
attacca
VAR. 3
60
With wild energy = 116
64
68
loco
6
70
73
Variation 4
[3+3+2]
80
white note clusters
= 116
[2+2+3]
(RH)
loco
85
(both voices)
for John Mackey
Brutal
VAR. 4
loco
=
76
[2+2+2+3]
Variation 4
91
97
101
105
108
(w.n. cluster-3rds)
7
( )
loco
(w.n. cluster-3rds)
repeat in any order con molto Ped. legato
8
Variation 4
freely, not in strict tempo
111
sim.
114
breve
freely (an echo)
R.H.
117
120
122
=
Variation 5
VAR. 5
for Amelia Newman
125 niente dim. al
Satie-Andante ( = ca. 80)
141
147
153
poco rall.
Poco più mosso
espr
133
9
attacca
10
Variation 6
VAR. 6
* * half-clear pedal just after each harmony/bar change Animato = 132
159
162
164
166
168
1.
170
2.
Variation 7
11
173
176
VAR. 7
=
for John Corigliano
L'istesso Tempo, with no meter ( = 132)
179
legato (16ths continue pulse of 8th-notes from previous Var.)
sempre
molto Ped.
180
181
freely, not in tempo
espr.
12
Variation 7
182
183
Andante, Pastorale = 100
184
188
=
(16ths in previous sextuplet pulse) freely, as before
Senza meter, as before
legato
191
Tempo II ( = 100)
192
13
Senza meter
196
Variation 7
legato
197
Tempo II ( = 100)
Vibrant, shimmering
199
202
attacca
VAR. 8
rubato with
206
con Ped.
211
216
Bill Evans Ballad-Tempo ( = 72–76)
Variation 8
14
221
poco cresc.
231
235
a tempo
Solo, freely
236
15
226
Variation 8
dim.
Più mosso, molto rall.
16
Variation 9
VAR. 9
241
for Steven Bryant
Largo, Spacious = ca. 56 legato
[C.F.]
molto Ped.
246
251
254
Variation 10
VAR. 10
for Nadège Foofat
sempre
–
sempre
[259]
Bach-Adagio ( = ca. 72–76)
258
261
17
sim. –
sim.
18
Variation 10
263
[265]
()
268
Variation 10
[272]
[274]
()
276
19
rallentando
LH
(RH)
attacca
20
Variation 11
VAR. 11
for Joel Puckett
Tenderly (a tempo) = ca. 76
279
*
282
285
289
**
* pedal through each bar and occasionally over bars when there are lines to keep intact, but clear pedal or take half-pedals when the sound gets overly blurry. ** pp unless a note or phrase is otherwise indicated.
( = )
*** ***p unless a note or phrase is otherwise indicated
= 294 --> attacca
Variation 12
VAR. 12
()
299 L'istesso
Tempo, Manhattan Gates ( = 200)
302
21
cresc. poco a poco
304
307
cresc.
310 explosive
313
22
316 319
327
attacca =
VAR. 13 for Amanda Harberg ( = ) Vicious Blues = 176
sparkling
324
Variation 13
333
Variation 13
()
338
348
353
357
. s (bl. key) s gli iss. l legato g
343
23
LH
()
(LH)
()
24
Variation 13
()
LH
358
()
LH
359
361
(LH)
()
cresc. poco a poco
(LH)
LH
362
(LH)
()
LH
360
()
(LH)
cresc.
RH
366
25
370 () ()
376
383
cresc.
389
()
cresc.
ten.
Variation 13
ten.
26
Variation 14
VAR. 14—FINALE
* 394
for Jason Robert Brown
Allegro Maestoso
= 126
LH
*
on theme
RH
RH
LH
with generous Ped.
398
401
405
( = )
LH
LH RH
LH
LH
cresc.
Variation 14
409
27
LH
LH
LH
RH RH LH
413
dim.
418
LH
LH
LH
( ) LH
RH
LH
422
) (
28
Variation 14
427
431
435
RH
440
LH sub.
RH
RH LH
Variation 14
444
448
A tempo ( = 126) 452
sub.
457
molto rit.
LH cresc. RH LH
Più mosso
molto accel.
29
6/30/21 | Winchester, Virginia