This is the world premiere performance of the second movement (of five movements) 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 second movement of the Earth Cantata is a Fantasy on Bach's "The Art of Fugue" theme. Bach's Art of Fugue theme provides the inspiration for a Rock-inspired musical journey.

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 second movement is below.

Tell God: 'O God, what frightful wonder
Thy works do witness, whose great might,
Thy enemies so bringeth under,
Though frown in heart, they fawn in sight!'
All earth and every land therefore
Sing to this God, this God adore!
All earth, I say, and all earth dwellers,
Oh, come, behold, oh, note beholding,
What dreadful wonders from him flow:
More height, more weight, more force enfolding,
Than Adam's earthy brood can show.

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
Tambourine: Aaron Alter
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 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-2nd Movement (inspired by the cantatas of J. S. Bach) for Chorus and Chamber Orchestra

This is my annual contribution to International Piano Day.

Echo

Echo - Piano Day 2023

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This is the first ambient song I do with the exceptional guitarist Maneli Jamal; a project that emerged many months ago and that has been simmering; Maneli has distilled his art with several guitars over my base of strings, pads and pianos in a track that I can't get enough of listening to. Mixed by the musician and sound engineer Pouya Hamidi in Canada, and distributed with Soothe Sounds

At The Outset

I'm in the darkness. There is no light. And the blackness surrounds me. But a ray of light in the wall has kept hope alive in me. It gives me light every day and tells me that I am still alive. I started to play… The sound of the piano went to the sky… Where it was bright. The music matched the pain of the darkness. And only I could understand what it said. I played the waltz piece. A song that gives me hope like this window.

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Drown

A peaceful and calm cinematic piano piece, to create a dreamy reflective atmosphere.

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Brad Rau received a scholarship to attend New England Conservatory (NEC), and received a Master’s degree in 2015 with academic honors. At NEC, he studied classical guitar under Eliot Fisk who was the last pupil of Andres Segovia. Brad has performed in countless masterclasses with instructors including; Sharon Isbin, and Andrew York both Grammy award winning guitarists. Brad’s personal learning methods have enabled him to memorizing over 8 hours of the most difficult repertoire for the classical guitar. Brad was a semi-finalist in the International Texas Guitar Competition of 2008.  Brad currently studies under Grammy awarding winnings guitarist Jason Vieaux. Brad has been performing music for over 20 years all over Boston, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, as a classical guitarist, rock guitarist, and rock drummer.  Brad currently teaching music lessons at Taylor’s Music in West Chester, and performs every Friday at the Brandywine Distillery.  Brad has mentored hundreds of students of all ages, styles and levels. Many of Brad’s students have gone on to develop their own music careers and teaching studios.

Brad’s unique teaching style combines music, physics, philosophy and humor, making him a well-rounded instructor for a variety of students.

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Video that shows how it was recorded: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qvVqwko3xc
This music includes acoustic piano, clarinet, back vocals, can percussions and the sound of a closing door. Recorded in studio. Thanks to anyone who support my music: https://ariad.bandcamp.com/track/sunday

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not a single day

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-2nd Movement (inspired by the cantatas of J. S. Bach) for Chorus and Chamber Orchestra

AaronAlterComposer

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