Keith Fitch: Alee (World Premiere)

Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra
Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center
Carlos Kalmar, conductor
March 23, 2022
Keith Fitch: Alee (2019-21)
World Premiere
Program Notes by Keith Fitch
Alee [əˈlē], nautical, first recorded use 14th century. The act of guiding a ship away from the wind and/or threatening weather (opposite: “aweather”).
Choosing the right title for a work celebrating the centennial of the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) was no easy task. My initial choice (which will happily remain a secret!) simply was not working. I needed something that would evoke the idea of the school moving forward into CIM’s next century, perhaps something metaphorical or, hopefully, even a bit poetic. Most of the obvious choices which presented themselves were simply that - too obvious - until, after a visit to the trusty thesaurus (a composer’s best friend when it comes to titles), “alee” presented itself. Suddenly, everything about the piece began to click. What better title for a work looking toward the future than one which literally implies the wind being at one’s back?
Musically speaking, the work is divided into two large sections (roughly one-third and two-thirds of the piece, respectively). The opening section is centered around a long melodic line first heard in the violins (doubled by the piccolo and bass clarinet) and later developed through an extended trumpet solo. As this music arrives at the work’s first true climax, the second, faster, section begins with an interchange between the piano and percussion. This second section is itself divided into two parts, delineated by an extended solo for the percussion section (the four percussionists play a pivotal role in the work, including being asked to improvise at certain key moments). The music continues to accelerate, each new section being faster than the last, until the work reaches its final climax. A brief, quiet coda, reminiscent of the opening, brings the piece to a close.
Alee was commissioned by the Cleveland Institute of Music in celebration of the Institute’s centennial and is dedicated to the students, faculty, and staff of CIM. It was composed between December 2019 and September 2021 and was premiered by the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, Carlos Kalmar conducting, on March 23, 2022, at Severance Music Center, Cleveland. The work lasts approximately twelve minutes in performance.

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I love Fitch's music. I've been a fan since his Bloomington days.