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

Aaron Alter is a composer from Carlsbad, California.  His new music, which he calls his "New Beginning" 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.  While a high-school student, Aaron studied Jazz Piano with Alan Swain and Classical Piano with Helen Engler at the Chicago Conservatory of Music. For two years, while in high school, Aaron played piano in a band led by the legendary Chicago-based saxophonist Fred Anderson (Aaron's work for violin and piano, “For Fred” was written in memory of Fred Anderson.) 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.  

After a long hiatus, Aaron re-emerged in 2012 with a new style and energy to his compositions, which he calls his “New Beginning.” 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.

Aaron Alter's music is published by Universal Edition and SilverWinds Publishing.

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. Solar Rays for piano, violin and 'cello is published by Universal Edition. Aaron’s Introspective Blues #1 for Flute and Harp has become his most popular work, with over 53,000 plays on Jango Internet Radio and over 27,000 plays on SoundCloud.  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.  In 2019, two albums containing Aaron's music were released by Iwona Glinka on the Phasma Music label, "Four Minutes" and "Zayin." The world premiere recording of Aaron's Piano Sonata (inspired by Beethoven), was released by the pianist and Steinway Artist, Susan Merdinger on her album, "American Melting Pot" in 2020 (the 250th anniversary year of Beethoven's birth.) "American Melting Pot" received a Gold Medal at the 2020 Global Music Awards.  Aaron Alter's Piano Sonata (inspired by Beethoven) is published by Universal Edition. In 2021, Phasma Music released five new albums containing Aaron's music, "New Music for String Quartet", "Lamedh",  "Kaph", "Teth" and "Lament for Theodore Antoniou." Also in 2021, Composers Concordance released an album called "The Process Sessions #1 with Aaron's "Lament, Prayer and Renewal" for tenor saxophone and electric guitar, which was inspired by the COVID pandemic.

In 2023, Phasma Music released a recording of Aaron's Vival-departures for String Orchestra (inspired by the music of Antonio Vivaldi) on an album entitled "LVIV 1" by the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine. “LVIV 1” won the “Best Classical Recording” award from the 2023 Clouzine International Music Awards. Vival-departures fuses the influences of Vivaldi's music with Blues and Rock music and is published by Universal Edition. In March, 2023, Aaron Alter's Earth Cantata (inspired by the Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach) for Chorus and Chamber Orchestra was premiered by The New Mexico Bach Society Chorale and Orchestra to wide acclaim. Earth Cantata was commissioned by The New Mexico Performing Arts Society and is published by Universal Edition. Earth Cantata was named as a National Finalist Honorable Mention in the 2024 American Prize, Major Choral Works Composition division and a Silver Medalist (for Outstanding Achievement in Composition) at the 2023 Global Music Awards.

On October 4, 2024, Composers Concordance Records released a new album called "Spontaneous" by the CompCord Quartet containing Aaron Alter's First Time Meeting for Clarinet, Violin, ‘Cello and Piano. First Time Meeting is published by Universal Edition.  On December 12, 2024, Phasma Music released a recording of Aaron’s Trio of Jade for Tuba, Cello and Piano as part of a new album, entitled Visions d'Athènes on all streaming platforms.The Steinway artist, Susan Merdinger, will give the premiere of a new solo piano work that Aaron wrote for her in a series of many concerts throughout the U.S. in 2026.

Aaron is a regular contributor of compositions to the repertoire of the flutist Iwona Glinka, the pianist and Steinway Artist, Susan Merdinger, the Cracow Duo, the ÉxQuartet, 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 and is the former Chair of the Carlsbad Arts Commission.

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

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