Thomas Feng, piano

April 23, 2021
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Milton Babbitt – About Time

Premiered in Antwerp, Belgium by the Collegium Musicum Carinthia conducted by Alexei Kornienko at the Festival of Flanders.

March Swale is a musical collage of sections beginning with wind and including party music to describe the month. A swale is a meadow or a marsh where a diversity of wild plants grow due to good soil and water.  The composer uses the word swale to mean a kind of musical collage of newly composed swatches. The piece opens with music reminiscent of Kentucky fiddle music. 

Each of the Three Swales may be performed individually, but if they're performed together, the preferred order is Kentucky Swale, Blue Bell Swale and March Swale. 

Beth Anderson’s music has been described as having “a refreshing simplicity without naiveté” and as “deeply felt, direct, and yes, beautiful” and “charming and deeply felt to the point of romanticism.” MSR Classics has issued The Praying Mantis and the Bluebird – Flute Music of Beth Anderson (MS1434) - World Premiere recordings of 11 works and New World Records released Swales and Angels - World Premiere recordings of 7 works.

Read Just Dropping In, a fascinating interview with the composer on NewMusicBox at nmbx.newmusicusa.org/beth-anderson-…t-dropping-in/ and hear a Listening to Ladies podcast with her at listeningtoladies.com/episode10/.

For more information about Ms. Anderson, including a bio, other videos, list of works, discography and much more, please visit www.beand.com.

If you'd like to have a score of March Swale for consideration, contact Beth Anderson at beth@beand.com.

Unknown album (5/27/2021 3:04:00 PM)

Beth Anderson's March Swale from Three Swales for String Orchestra

This is the finale from Variations on Lo Lanu Ha-Shem for cello and piano, performed by the Cracow Duo (Jan Kalinowski, cello and Marek Szlezer, piano)in Kraków, Poland on September 13, 2020, sponsored by the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust.
To see a video of the complete Variations on Lo Lanu Ha-Shem, please visit the page on my website: https://aaronalter.com/chamber-variations-on-lo-lanu-hashem

Variations on Lo Lanu Ha-Shem are based on my "Lo Lanu Ha-Shem" (a setting of Psalm 115) for Women's Chorus, Flute, Harp, Two Horns, Double-Bass and Tambourine. To hear the original choral work, please visit the page on my website: https://aaronalter.com/choral-lolanuhashem

Finale from Variations on Lo Lanu Ha-Shem for cello and piano

This is the world premiere performance of the fifth and final movement of Aaron Alter's Earth Cantata for Chorus and Chamber Orchestra (inspired by the cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach.) The performance was done by The New Mexico Performing Arts Society, Franz Vote (shown on the right in the image above,) conductor and artistic director.

The fifth movement of the Earth Cantata is a Fantasy on an Original Chorale by Aaron Alter and is a recap of the first movement with a more final ending. Aaron's original chorale evokes Bach while adding a Rock-inspired undertone.

While there are no direct quotes of Bach's music in Earth Cantata, it uses the form of Bach's sacred cantatas as a starting point and embraces their deep spiritual and emotional weight and richness, while fusing influences of Jazz, Rock and Pop music in a unique and fresh way. The text is a poetic interpretation of the biblical Psalm 66 by the Elizabethan poet Mary Sidney Herbert, from around the year 1599. The text of the first movement is below.

All lands, the limbs of earthy round,
With triumph tunes God's honour sound:
Sing of his name the praiseful glory,
And glorious make his praise's story.

The performers were:
Sopranos: Jennifer Perez, Camille Tierney
Altos: Esther Moses, Jacqueline Zander-Wall
Tenors: André García-Nuthmann, Jordan Jones
Basses: Andrew Paulson, Tim Willson

Violins: Elizabeth Baker, Carla Kountoupes
Viola: Gail Robertson
Cello: Sally Guenther
Double Bass: Deborah Dunham
Flute: Linda Marianiello
Oboe: Amanda Talley
Clarinet: Mike Gruetzner
Bassoon: Stefanie Przybylska
French Horn: Michael Walker
Piano: Jeremy Reger
Conductor: Franz Vote

Text is from The Sidney Psalter, The Psalms of Sir Philip and Mary Sidney, Published by the Oxford University Press (2009)

Copyright Hannibal Hamlin, Michael G. Brennan, Margaret P. Hannay and Noel J. Kinnamon, 2009

Reproduced with permission of the Licensor through PLSclear.

Earth Cantata was named as a National Finalist Honorable Mention in the 2024 American Prize, Major Choral Works Composition division and a Silver Medalist at the 2023 Global Music Awards.

Earth Cantata is published by Universal Edition. For scores and parts, please visit:
https://www.universaledition.com/en/Works/Earth-Cantata-inspired-by-the-Cantatas-of-Johann/P0207113

For more information on the Earth Cantata and other compositions by Aaron Alter, please visit his compositions page at: https://aaronalter.com/compositions

Earth Cantata-5th Movement (inspired by the cantatas of J. S. Bach) for Chorus and Chamber Orchestra

Vival-departures for string orchestra is inspired by the music of Antonio Vivaldi. Although there are no direct quotes of Vivaldi's music in Vival-departures, there is a Vivaldi-like interlude that appears in different forms and becomes a point of departure for musical development. In addition to the influences of Vivaldi's music, you'll hear influences of blues and rock music also.

This track is from the commercial recording "LVIV 1" by the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine on the Phasma-Music label. 

Vival-departures (inspired by the music of Antonio Vivaldi) for String Orchestra is published by Universal Edition. For scores and parts, please visit:
https://www.universaledition.com/en/Works/Vival-departures-inspired-by-the-music-of-Antonio/P0207088

For more information on Vival-departures and other works by Aaron Alter, please visit https://aaronalter.com/compositions .

Vival-departures (inspired by the music of Antonio Vivaldi) for String Orchestra

Sunset on the Spire (Introspective Blues #2) is an Art Song for Soprano Voice that is in the tradition of Art Songs by Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms, but with a more modern instrumental accompaniment of a Jazz Quintet of Trumpet, Tenor Saxophone, Piano, Double-Bass and Drum Set. The text is by the early 20th century American poet, Elinor Wylie. The beginning and end of the song are in a Blues style, while the middle section is in a style that is more Brahms-inspired.

The performers were:
Ljiljana Winkler, Soprano (to whom the song was dedicated)
Peter Oswald, Trumpet
Dennis Brandner, Tenor Saxophone
Jai Jeffryes, Piano
Troy Rinker, Jr., Double-Bass
Lee Jeffryes, Drum Set
Gene Pritsker, Conductor

Sunset on the Spire was premiered by Ljiljana Winkler and the CompCord Ensemble as part of Composers Concordance Presents "Art of the Art Song" November 29, 2023 at DROM, New York City.
The video was by James Lane (Hot Indie Media.)

Sunset on the Spire by Elinor Wylie (abridged by Aaron Alter)
All that I dream
By day or night
Lives in that stream
Of lovely light.

Here is the earth,
And there is the spire;
This is my hearth,
And that is my fire.

From the sun's dome
I am shouted proof
That this is my home,
And that is my roof.

And I am wooed
From the moon's brink.

And the days go over,
And the nights end;
Here is my lover,
Here is my friend.

Sunset on the Spire (Introspective Blues #2) is published by Universal Edition. For scores and parts, please visit:
https://www.universaledition.com/en/Works/Sunset-on-the-Spire-Introspective-Blues-2-for-S/P0261476

For more information on Sunset on the Spire and other works by Aaron Alter, please visit https://aaronalter.com/compositions .

Sunset On The Spire (Introspective Blues #2) for Soprano voice and Jazz Quintet-Premiere in New York

Lament for Theodore Antoniou for solo alto flute was written in memory of the brilliant composer, conductor and educator, Theodore Antoniou. Aaron Alter had the honor and pleasure of studying with him when Aaron was on a fellowship in Composition at Tanglewood in the summer of 1976 and remembered his impeccable musicianship and high standards. The recording of Lament for Theodore Antoniou by the flutist Iwona Glinka (to whom the work was dedicated) was released in 2021 on the Phasma Music Label (Distributed by Naxos) in a monumental three-volume project with Laments from composers all over the world. The recording received the award of "Best Classical Album" at the 2021 Akademia Music Awards.

Lament for Theodore Antonio is published by Universal Edition. For scores, please visit:
https://www.universaledition.com/en/Works/Lament-for-Antoniou-for-solo-Alto-Flute/P0261646

Lament for Antoniou Vol. 1

Lament For Theodore Antoniou for solo Alto Flute

Lost Daughters - An Opera in One Act
Music by Ross Crean
Libretto by Katherine Arathoon

Recorded live at Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, OH
Performed by the Oberlin Mozart Players
May 7th, 2017

Conducted by JP Jennings

The Queen of the Night - Katherine Bruton, Soprano
Clytemnestra - Jessica Hiltabidle, Mezzo-Soprano
Mrs. Darling - Marysa Abbas, Mezzo-Soprano

The Queen of the Night, Mrs. Darling, and Clytemnestra reconvene repeatedly to a desolate wasteland, where they return each time someone is done reading their stories. They then discuss the losses of each of their daughters, one by death, one by estrangement, and one by intervalic disappearance.
It's also about how these three very different women come together to express their grief and eventually, with the discovery that they relive this story and these feelings on repeat, decide to try and end the cycle.

Lost Daughters (An Opera in One Act)- Scene 4 (Excerpt)

© Michael Calabris Music (ASCAP), 2024. All rights reserved. 

"Prelude & Fugue" was composed in February 2017. The piece was realized using Logic Pro X; specifically, Logic's Retro Synth feature. I used Retro Synth to create the twenty "analog" synth patches heard in this track. 

"Prelude & Fugue" was inspired by Wendy Carlos's "Switched-On Bach" albums.

Prelude & Fugue (for Synthesizer)

La Joie de Vivre was inspired by the painting by Picasso of the same name. That painting shows a Mediterranean scene with mythological figures, such as satyrs and a centaur and a nude woman playing music and dancing. The music goes through several transformations. It begins in a modal jazz style, but later evolves into folk-rock, blues-rock and finally ends with a folk dance, all of which evoke the spirit of the Picasso painting.

This track is from the recording, "Zayin," by the flutist Iwona Glinka and the pianist Vicky Stylianou that was released on the Phasma Music label (distributed by Naxos.)

La Joie de Vivre (inspired by the painting of Picasso) is published by Universal Edition. For scores and parts, please visit:
https://www.universaledition.com/en/Works/La-Joie-de-Vivre-inspired-by-the-painting-by-Pica/P0207092

For more information on "La Joie de Vivre" and other works by Aaron Alter, please visit https://aaronalter.com/compositions

La Joie De Vivre For Flute And Piano

Alban Berg's Piano Sonata in a single movement, Opus 1, was published in 1910.

Berg, Piano Sonata

Aaron Alter is a composer from Carlsbad, California. His music is published by Universal Edition and Silverwinds Publishing. Aaron calls his new music his "New Beginning" because it is an exploration of a new style and energy that defies categorization.    

A native of Chicago, Aaron Alter's musical background was a product of the rich musical life that he found growing up in the Windy City. Aaron received his Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University, where he studied piano with Frances Larimer and Gui Mombaerts, and composition with Lynden DeYoung and David Noon. He received his Master of Fine Arts Degree from Princeton University, where he studied with Milton Babbitt and James K. Randall.  

Aaron’s new music was first performed in 2015, with the performance of “Homage to Josquin” for two flutes, piano, electric bass and drum set by The New Mexico Performing Arts Society in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “Homage to Josquin” received an Honorable Mention in the 2016 American Prize competition for Chamber Music Composition.  

Works such as "Solar Rays" and "Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry" defy genres and exist in Classical ensemble and Jazz Big Band versions. Both the classical piano trio (piano, violin and ‘cello) and Jazz Big Band versions of “Solar Rays” have received Silver medals at the Global Music Awards. Aaron’s Introspective Blues #1 for Flute and Harp has become his most popular work, with over 16,100 plays on SoundCloud and over 5,200 plays on Jango Internet Radio. Aaron’s music has been featured on the albums “One Minute”, “Two Minutes”, “Gimel” and “Daleth”, by the flutist Iwona Glinka on the Sarton and Phasma Music labels, all of which have won Silver Medals at the Global Music Awards.  

Aaron has received two commissions in the past two years for choral works with an instrumental ensemble from The New Mexico Performing Arts Society.  The first commission, “Together We Create and Sing! (inspired by the music of Franz Joseph Haydn”) was a semi-finalist at the 2018 American Prize competition for Choral Music Composition and received a Silver Medal at the August 2019 Global Music Awards.  The latest commission, “Lo Lanu Ha-Shem” (a setting of Psalm 115) received a Silver Medal from the March 2019 Global Music Awards.  

Aaron is a regular contributor of compositions to the repertoire of the flutist Iwona Glinka, the pianist and Steinway Artist, Susan Merdinger, the pianist Vania Pimentel, The New Mexico Performing Arts Society and Composers Concordance in New York.  

Aaron also serves as an Executive Board Member of the Carlsbad Friends of the Arts.

Earth Cantata-5th Movement (inspired by the cantatas of J. S. Bach) for Chorus and Chamber Orchestra

AaronAlterComposer

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