Anonymous Fame
(2005)
In 2005, to celebrate the group’s 30th anniversary, the Washington Saxophone Quartet asked for a set of variations based on the theme from NPR’s “All Things Considered.” The group is known — or not — for the music they recorded for use between segments of “All Things Considered.” They called their notoriety “anonymous fame”, according to Rich Kleinfeldt, the quartet’s tenor saxophonist. They asked that the piece be based on the show’s theme (which is a variation on a 19th-century composition, according to Kleinfeldt) Thus: a set of variations and theme (the theme comes at the end).
In September 2015, American Public Radio’s “Performance Today” aired a segment about the Washington Saxophone Quartet and “Anonymous Fame,” and ended the segment with a recording of the group’s performance at The Barns at Wolf Trap.
Anonymous Fame Intro & Interview (Performance Today)
Anonymous Fame Excerpt (Performance Today)
Instrumentation
- Saxophone Quartet
Duration
4:31
Premiere
Washington Saxophone Quartet: Reginald Jackson, soprano; James Steele, alto; Rich Kleinfeldt, tenor; Rick Parrell, baritone
Commission
Washington Saxophone Quartet
