“For Fred” was written in memory of the legendary Chicago-based saxophonist Fred Anderson, in whose band I played piano when I was 16 years old. When he passed away in 2010, I wanted to write something in his memory, but couldn’t find the right instrumental combination after starting the work several times. I finally settled on Violin and Piano as the perfect way to express the full range of emotions that I felt. The work starts out with an Elegy. You might hear an echo of church bells in the repetitive theme in the right hand of the piano. After a dramatic and emotional passage in the violin, similar to a vocal recitative, the Elegy shifts to a more upbeat section, entitled “His Legacy Lives On.” This section recalls the music that Fred Anderson played in his nightclub, where the bass player would play a repeating figure and Fred would improvise on that figure. The Elegy returns, but is interrupted by a quiet ending.
Classical Music | Violin Music
Aaron Alter
For Fred for violin and piano Play
Recorded on 09/09/2017, uploaded on 01/20/2018
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
“For Fred” was written in memory of the legendary Chicago-based saxophonist Fred Anderson, in whose band I played piano when I was 16 years old. When he passed away in 2010, I wanted to write something in his memory, but couldn’t find the right instrumental combination after starting the work several times. I finally settled on Violin and Piano as the perfect way to express the full range of emotions that I felt. The work starts out with an Elegy. You might hear an echo of church bells in the repetitive theme in the right hand of the piano. After a dramatic and emotional passage in the violin, similar to a vocal recitative, the Elegy shifts to a more upbeat section, entitled “His Legacy Lives On.” This section recalls the music that Fred Anderson played in his nightclub, where the bass player would play a repeating figure and Fred would improvise on that figure. The Elegy returns, but is interrupted by a quiet ending.
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